Libya’s General Electricity Company said Wednesday that an attack on the South Zawiya electrical substation caused a complete shutdown of the facility, disrupting electricity supplies across large areas south of Zawiya.
The company said US-based General Electric (GE) has suspended all operations at the Zawiya power plant and withdrawn its technical teams following the latest attack, pending an improvement in security conditions.
More than 700 megawatts of the plant’s total 1,300 MW generating capacity remain unavailable, further worsening pressure on Libya’s electricity network.
The attack came shortly after explosive-laden drone strikes targeted fuel storage tanks at the nearby Zawiya oil complex, home to Libya’s largest operating refinery.
The renewed violence in the strategically important city has disrupted Libya’s oil sector, with the National Oil Corporation warning that it could declare force majeure if drone attacks on energy infrastructure in Zawiya continue.
