📰 6 sources 7 articles · 8 Oct 2026, 17:29 → 9 days ago

Lebanon: Moves to Restart Zouk and Jiyyeh Plants as EDL Denies Internal Division

This story covers the ongoing efforts to restart Lebanon's Zouk and Jiyyeh power plants, including Energy Minister Joe Saddi being briefed by the board of Electricité du Liban (EDL) and a move by Parliament's Public Works Committee on the file. In parallel, the EDL board denied internal division over the restart and spoke of obstruction attempts, while a parliamentary session addressed the company operating the two plants and previous corruption allegations.

📍 Where things stand: The committee's report is expected to be presented to the EDL board next Monday, amid talk of about an extra hour and a half of supply if the plants are restarted.

⏱️ Timeline

8 Oct 2026, 17:29 Energy Minister Joe Saddi was briefed by the board of Electricité du Liban on the efforts to restart the Zouk and Jiyyeh plants.
8 Oct 2026, 18:10 A RED TV report addressed the move by Parliament's Public Works Committee to restart the Zouk and Jiyyeh plants, saying the electricity file is entering a new testing phase away from delay, and that what the Energy Ministry failed to do the Public Works Committee might succeed in moving forward, paving the way for restoring electricity to the Lebanese.
8 Oct 2026, 18:10 The board of Electricité du Liban issued a statement denying internal division over restarting the Zouk and Jiyyeh plants, stressing that what was circulated in the session of the parliamentary Public Works and Energy Committee and the statements that followed do not reflect reality, and that the board member tasked with following up the file, Engineer Samer Hasniyeh, presented a detailed technical presentation based on the documents of the institution's management and the company MEP.
8 Oct 2026, 18:37 The board of Electricité du Liban said it faces obstruction attempts from entities inside and outside the institution that hinder increased production, and explained that the report of the tasked committee will be presented to the board next Monday. In a separate meeting, Energy Minister Joe Saddi discussed with board chairman Nasib Nasr and Hasniyeh the restart, which could provide about an extra hour and a half of supply.
8 Oct 2026, 20:53 The session of the Public Works, Transport, Energy and Water Committee addressed the file of operating the Zouk and Jiyyeh plants, and a representative of the management of MEP, the company operating the two plants, attended to defend it. According to the report, the company is owned by Karim Tahsin al-Khayyat, and widespread corruption in it had previously been revealed, including buying spare parts from other than its agent and using more oil than needed.

Timeline written by AI from the sources below; updated as new reports arrive.

How the sources covered it

Most coverage focused on the energy minister being briefed by the EDL board on the restart efforts and on the board's denial of internal division, while annahar.com alone highlighted obstruction attempts and the additional supply figure (an hour and a half), and MTV Lebanon focused on the parliamentary committee session, the MEP file and previous corruption allegations against it.

Lebanon 24 Led with the report that Energy Minister Joe Saddi was briefed by the EDL board on efforts to restart the Zouk and Jiyyeh plants, without further details.
LBCI Lebanon Limited itself to the news that Saddi was briefed by the EDL board on the restart efforts, with wording identical to the same item.
Lebanon Debate Provided two items: the first cited a RED TV report on the Public Works Committee's move and raised the question of the Energy Ministry's role, which remained in the position of being late; the second was devoted to the EDL board's statement denying division and noted Samer Hasniyeh's technical presentation.
annahar.com Highlighted the denial of division alongside talk of obstruction attempts from entities inside and outside the institution, and cited the expected additional supply figure (about an hour and a half) and the date the committee's report will be presented to the board next Monday.
aljadeed Confined itself to a brief headline about Saddi being briefed on efforts to restart the Zouk and Jiyyeh plants.
MTV Lebanon Focused on the session of the Public Works, Transport, Energy and Water Committee and the attendance of an MEP management representative to defend it, noting that the company is owned by Karim Tahsin al-Khayyat and that widespread corruption in it had previously been revealed, while speaking of hidden matters and overlooking corruption in the session.