The Palestinian Energy and Natural Resources Authority in the Gaza Strip confirmed that the energy deficit so far has reached 52%, and while the brutal aggression against the Strip continues, the station will stop working completely next Monday due to the depletion of fuel, so that the deficit will reach 70%, which threatens a humanitarian catastrophe. With the continued obstinacy of the occupation by closing the crossings and not bringing in fuel, the station will stop working.
The Energy Authority said in a press statement held today, Saturday, in front of Al-Shifa Medical Complex: "The rate of entry of the Qatari grant fuel allocated to operate the Gaza Power Plant ranged between 2,800 to 3,000 cups per week, and these quantities were sufficient to operate 3 generators to generate electric power from 65 to 75 megawatts, which represents 35% of the energy available to feed the loads of the governorates of Gaza.
She added: "With the beginning of the aggression on Gaza, and after preventing the entry of fuel allocated to operate the station, one of the operating generators was stopped, in order to reduce the consumption of available fuel, and therefore the station´s production decreased to about 45-48 megawatts, so that the current available capacity to feed the loads of the governorates of Gaza ranges from Between 165 and 172 megawatts.
The Energy Authority noted that the power plant will stop working at noon next Monday, corresponding to: 05/15/2023 AD, due to the depletion of fuel, and in this case, the governorates of Gaza will depend only on power lines coming from the occupied territories, which are estimated at about 120 megawatts, and thus the deficit will increase. to approximately 70%, noting that this deficit is subject to increase in the event of damage to one of these lines or in the event of an increase in the demand for loads.
And she stated that this deficit will directly affect the hours of electricity connection to all vital facilities in all service sectors, which include: facilities affiliated with the Ministry of Health such as hospitals, primary care centers, and facilities of local authorities related to water wells, desalination plants, wastewater treatment plants, sewage pumping stations, and others. One of the important facilities, which threatens the occurrence of a humanitarian and environmental catastrophe.
The Energy Authority indicated that the technical staff received, with the start of the aggression on the Strip, (573) reports of malfunctions in the power lines from various governorates as a result of the bombing of civilian homes, while (4,385) calls were received through the information center of the Gaza Electricity Distribution Company via the number 133 dedicated to serving the public.
And she confirmed that she is making every effort to deal with these signals, remove the dangers resulting from damage to the electricity network, and carry out the necessary maintenance for the lines according to the modest capabilities available to ensure that all citizens have access to electric current according to the available quantities.
The Energy Authority clarified the critical situation that the energy and electricity sector suffers from as a result of the brutal Israeli aggression on the governorates of Gaza, which threatens a humanitarian catastrophe. With the continued intransigence of the occupation by closing the crossings and not bringing in fuel, the station will stop working.
The Energy Authority appealed to the international community, and human rights and humanitarian organizations, to assume their responsibilities and intervene immediately and urgently to oblige the Israeli occupation and pressure it to enter the quantities of fuel needed to operate the only power plant in the Gaza Strip, in addition to entering all the necessary medical supplies and humanitarian aid in these difficult conditions that our Palestinian people suffer from
