Qatari electricity lifeline for Lebanon includes two power plants, LNG supply deal: Reuters

Qatar plans to construct two power plants in Lebanon over the next three years and sign a 20-year liquefied natural gas supply deal under ‌a proposal to revive the ailing Lebanese power sector, a document seen by Reuters showed.

Lebanon's energy sector is at the centre of the country's financial and economic malaise, contributing tens of billions of dollars to the national debt since the country's 1975-1990 civil war even as it failed to deliver 24/7 power.

The state power company currently supplies just a few hours of power per day, with the rest coming from expensive private diesel generators that spew toxic exhaust often seen forming a yellow-grey layer ⁠of smog above Beirut.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani visited Lebanon last week and publicly promised to help revitalise the country's power sector. Few details were then presented to reporters.

But according to a proposal drafted with input from the Lebanese and Qatari governments, dated October 2026 and seen by Reuters, the programme "covers gas-fired power generation, LNG supply and regasification, renewable energy, battery storage, and regional electricity interconnections".

"The program aims to attract private/project financing without upfront Lebanese public-budget capital expenditure; payment obligations and guarantees remain subject to negotiation," the document said.

The blueprint, named the National Integrated Energy Investment Program, still requires the approval of both governments and is subject to amendment, a person familiar with the matter said.

They put the timeframe for implementation at three years if approvals come swiftly.

Qatar has been a longtime financial ‌and political ⁠backer of Lebanon, stepping in multiple times over the last decades during times of political and economic crisis.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the proposed plan. Lebanon's energy minister also did not respond to a request for comment.

Reuters