Lebanon needs to invest in renewable energy
It may be a luxury to say that Lebanon must be prepared for the energy transition on a global level when the country is immersed in a crisis that began with the financial and economic crisis, passing through the vacuum in the presidency and the disruption of state institutions, and its authority disappear, while the Israeli aggression poses an existential threat to the Lebanese entity. However, this should not prevent Lebanon from keeping pace with the energy transition, primarily because it is directly linked to electrical energy, which constituted the leading cause of Lebanon's financial and economic crisis.
The energy transition means the shift from one specific energy source to another, aiming to either use new sources that cost less and are widely available or reduce emissions that cause the weather change. The energy transition and its uses are not new to humanity. The transition took place from wood as an energy source to using coal in the nineteenth century, then shifting to nuclear power and oil, and then to gas in the twentieth century, without abandoning coal. In contrast, renewable energy costs declined in the past decade (2010-2019).
What distinguishes today's transition from the previous one is the need to prevent global warming, the more significant threat it faces, and reduce its effects as soon as possible. Despite the invitation to reduce the use of conventional fuel from the nineteenth century, the decline in coal, oil, and gas prices impedes expansion using renewable energy, accelerating this transition.
As for Lebanon, although it joined the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference in 2009 and pledged to secure 12% of its energy supplies from clean and renewable energy by 2020, none was achieved then. However, Lebanon returned and ratified the Paris Agreement on March 29, 2018, adopting another ambitious goal to cover 30% of its primary energy consumption from renewable sources by 2030. A goal that is impossible to achieve considering the financial, economic, and political crises afflicting Lebanon and the military and security risks.
The initiatives of families and private companies to use renewable energy to meet their electricity needs to be compensated for the state’s inability and failure to implement its international pledge and fulfill its responsibilities in providing citizens’ need for sustainable energy. The total capacity of solar energy facilities through private initiatives has reached more than 1,200 megawatts, or approximately 15% of the total electricity consumption, according to a statement by Minister of Energy and Water Walid Fayyad to a Lebanese newspaper.
In contrast, electricity production costs range at a high level comparable to before the financial and economic crisis, as the cost of providing a 12-hour supply amounts to $140 million per month or approximately $ 1.7 billion annually. Moreover, a kilowatt hour costs between 14 and 15 cents, equivalent to double its cost if it is produced with Egyptian gas, which Lebanon was promised without obtaining. This situation should urge the Minister and the Government to stimulate investment in renewable energy, especially in available resources, to reduce the electricity bill before it is too late.
Renewable energy has developed rapidly and has gained significant interest and attraction from the beginning of this century, especially during the last ten years. These developments were not limited to one source or another of clean and renewable energy but affected most of them. At the level of solar energy, cell technologies used to produce energy have developed that are more feasible in terms of overall costs and more efficient from the technical side, including integrating transparent cells with window glass in addition to paints that can be used to paint surfaces and make them electrical energy producing.
Wind energy has also seen significant technological developments, with vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) innovation capable of capturing wind from various directions instead of traditional horizontal axis turbines. Kite Wind energy systems are an advanced development that allows us to benefit from the power of the wind, which increases with the heights that these kites reach.
In addition, floating wind farms allow wind energy systems to take advantage of the firm and consistent wind available in deep and remote sea areas. Developing hydropower technologies and those used in geothermal systems are no less important than previous developments.
Biomass energy production technologies have also witnessed significant developments, as have other renewable energies, especially those associated with rapid growth and oil content processing technology. Bioenergy technologies with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), in conjunction with the energy production process, constitute one of the advanced developments in the field of energy production from biomass without polluting the air and the environment.
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Moreover, Waste-to-energy technologies, one of the Biomass technologies for energy production, have many advanced applications, like anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis, and gasification, which help convert organic waste to electrical energy. The most important thing about these technologies is treating waste without burying it, which results in environmental damage and the risk of causing fires due to the emission of methane gas from it.
Biomass technologies and their applications, especially waste-to-energy and electricity production technologies, are perhaps most in need in Lebanon, where waste dumps are scattered randomly. These technologies contribute to solving the chronic landfill crisis and reducing environmental damage and the risks of fires and explosions. Overall, they provide a sustainable source of electrical energy, of which Lebanon suffers from a significant shortage and irregular supply.
According to the Ministry of Environment, Lebanon produces more than 5500 tons of waste daily, 99% of which goes to landfills and random dumps. Note that the economic crisis has changed waste composition, as the percentage of organic waste increased to 70% in 2021 after it was limited to 50% in 2017.
The number of random landfills may equal the number of Lebanese villages and towns. At the same time, there are more than seven waste dumps, and they are reaching their maximum capacity without the Lebanese government being able to adopt a solution.
Ironically, in 2014, the Lebanese government moved towards treating waste using incinerators rather than adopting technologies that allow the treatment of existing landfills and prevent the construction of new landfills.
Perhaps one of the positives of the financial and economic crisis that Lebanon is suffering from, if any, is getting rid of waste incinerators and the high costs they impose, especially since incinerators prevent the conversion of waste into almost free electrical energy. However, there is no serious government attempt to adopt sustainable solutions soon.
The approach of successive governments to the chronic and ongoing waste crisis, despite many government attempts and various formulas, is evidence of the unwillingness of the ruling classes to find a real solution to this crisis that helps solve part of the electricity crisis.
Lebanon’s problems lie in the irrational governance of its human and economic capabilities, the mismanagement of its available resources, and the deliberate waste of its revenues, which is at the expense of the country and the future of its children.
If it is forbidden for Lebanon to extract the oil and gas stored by its exclusive economic zone, continuing to supply electricity, considering the current high cost, is fraught with the risk of accumulating debts again. This limits Lebanon's options, the most important of which is investing in renewable energy and motivating citizens to rely on various renewable energy sources, even if oil and gas are extracted tomorrow.