Libya says power generation units go offline after gas shortages halt El Feel oilfield

Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) said Tuesday that several electricity generation units have gone offline after a severe shortage of gas and fuel supplies caused by the closure of the Mellitah Industrial Complex by protesters.

In a statement, the NOC said a group of protesters stormed and shut down the Mellitah Industrial Complex, west of Tripoli, early Tuesday, forcing the suspension of operations and disrupting natural gas production and supplies.

The corporation said the complex is the main source of gas feeding Libya's coastal pipeline, adding that the disruption brought production at the El Feel oilfield to a complete halt and partially suspended operations at the Wafa field.

The resulting sharp decline in gas and fuel supplies needed to operate power plants has forced several electricity generation units out of service, it added.

The NOC warned that if the situation persists, it could further destabilize the national electricity grid, forcing additional generating units offline and increasing the likelihood of widespread power outages or even a nationwide blackout.

It also warned of risks to the safety of facilities and workers, complex technical challenges and significant losses in oil and gas production and national revenues.

Early Tuesday, Libyan protesters shut down the Mellitah Oil and Gas Complex as well as the headquarters of the Oil and Gas Ministry and Zueitina Oil Company in Tripoli to protest deteriorating living conditions and poor public services.

Libyan protesters declared a campaign of civil disobedience on Monday to demand improvements in electricity services, accountability for officials overseeing the power sector and urgent solutions to recurring water shortages, fuel scarcity and cash liquidity problems.

The protests coincide with an intense heat wave that has swept Libya in recent days, triggering widespread electricity outages across much of the country and extending power rationing to more than 14 hours in some areas.

Daily blackouts have affected both western and eastern Libya since the beginning of July.

The Tripoli-based Government of National Unity, headed by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, has been working since 2021 to address the electricity crisis, and the sector has witnessed a remarkable improvement from 2023 to 2025.

Libya remains split between two rival governments: the internationally recognized Government of National Unity, headed by Dbeibeh and based in Tripoli, which administers western Libya; and a government appointed by the House of Representatives in early 2022, currently headed by Osama Hammad and based in Benghazi, which administers the east and most of the south.

For years, the UN Support Mission in the oil-rich country has sought to broker a political settlement leading to elections, which many Libyans hope will end the country's political divisions and armed conflict that have persisted since the 2011 ouster of Muammar Gaddafi.