Long electricity cuts during a heatwave have triggered protests across Tripoli and nearby districts, exposing the depth of Libya’s infrastructure and political crisis. With temperatures above 48C and some neighbourhoods losing power for about 10 hours a day, residents are demanding reliable services and accountability for years of delayed energy projects.
Young demonstrators have blocked major roads, burned tyres and restricted access to public buildings. Protesters also deposited a truckload of earth outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tripoli. The campaign, led by the Souq Al-Jumaa Movement and joined by activists in Tajoura and Janzour, is pressing the Government of National Unity to address deteriorating basic services and allegations of corruption.
Oil and gas disruption worsens the shortage
The confrontation expanded when another group entered the Mellitah oil and gas complex. The National Oil Corporation responded by stopping operations at the El Feel oilfield and partially suspending the Wafa field. That reduced gas supplies used by power stations and forced several generating units offline.
The government later regained control of the complex and gas pumping resumed, but the interruption demonstrated how quickly a local protest can affect the national grid. Libya’s electricity system depends on a narrow chain linking oil and gas facilities, ageing power stations and transmission lines that struggle during periods of peak demand.
A separate technical failure added to the pressure. Rabie Khalifa, a spokesperson for the electricity ministry in the eastern administration, said a 400-kilovolt transmission line failed under heavy summer demand. The breakdown led to cascading shutdowns at power stations and a rapid fall in grid frequency.
Unfinished projects leave little reserve capacity
Former electricity officials say the present shortage reflects strategic projects that were started before 2011 but never completed. The Gulf steam station near Sirte and the West Tripoli steam station were each designed to provide 1,400 megawatts through four generating units.
The West Tripoli project remains unfinished. At Sirte, only two of four planned 350-megawatt units are connected to the network. Libya therefore relies heavily on older facilities that require extensive maintenance. Newer gas-fired plants improved supply in 2023 and 2024, but they did not eliminate the deficit or match annual demand growth, estimated by a former official at as much as 600 megawatts.
Electricity imports provide only limited support. Egypt resumed exports to Libya in July, supplying about 70 megawatts, a small amount compared with the country’s overall requirement. Energy specialists also warn that adding generation alone will not solve weaknesses in transmission infrastructure or the backlog of maintenance.
Daily life and political division
The outages affect far more than lighting and air conditioning. Residents say cuts interrupt water supplies, spoil food and create additional risks for older people and those with medical conditions. Families that can afford private generators have an alternative source of power, while lower-income households must endure long periods without electricity during extreme heat.
Energy systems engineer Roa Nasef, who returned to Libya after seven years abroad, argued that temporary measures cannot stabilise the grid. She called for modernised transmission networks and a long-term strategy that includes renewable energy. In Benghazi, resident Areej Badr described generator ownership as the only dependable way to maintain power throughout the day.
The electricity emergency is unfolding within Libya’s wider institutional split. Since 2014, the country has been divided between authorities based mainly in the west and a rival administration aligned with Khalifa Haftar in the east. A 2020 ceasefire reduced large-scale fighting but did not reunify national institutions. The internationally recognised Government of National Unity remains in Tripoli.
US adviser for African affairs Massad Boulos recently discussed unification and security cooperation with Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah. The latest protests show why that political process has direct consequences for public services: competing institutions, interrupted energy production and unfinished infrastructure continue to leave the power network vulnerable.
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