It’s midnight just before the weekend. Traffic snarls the corniche in Tripoli, where improved electricity service has brought renewed energy to Libya’s capital after years of conflict and power cuts.
Power “outages were a disaster for my business”, said Hanan al-Miladi, a 43-year-old baker who sells pastries online for weddings and other celebrations. Until last year, outages could last 10 or even 20 hours, turning the city’s streets dark and leaving residents sweltering in summer temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius without air conditioning.
He also made sure the power company’s new boss saw through projects, including a plan for maintenance of damaged infrastructure and tight control of funds to curb corruption.“The situation has improved, and customers notice it,” said 34-year-old butcher Moaed Zayani, who also sells frozen products.Buying batteries costing a few hundred dinars , they could power a television set and one or two lamps, as well as provide basic internet connectivity.
Electricity network stability is the foundation of the “Return to Life” campaign launched by the city government, and is slowly restoring Tripoli’s soul.“It’s clear that administrative stability within Gecol has contributed to the stability of the power network,” said Mohamad Rahoumi, 53, spokesman for a pastry brand.Libyan electricity rates are among the lowest in the region, at 0.050 dinars per kilowatt-hour for individuals and 0.20 dinars for businesses.