Occupied Palestine | فلسطين

Gaza’s sole power plant at risk of closure

Maan News Agency | Aug 14, 2011

GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Gaza’s electricity company may have to turn off the sole power station in the coastal enclave, a company official warned Sunday.

Chief Executive Officer Walid Sad Sayel said the company would delay switching off the station until Sunday even though it needed repairs and should have been shut down on Wednesday.

The company had reached an agreement with power authority officials in Gaza to delay the closure after the Hamas officials agreed to transfer $4 million to pay for spare parts, Sayel said in a statement.

A further $1 million was needed to pay Ashdod port authorities to release the parts, Sayel added.

He warned that if the clearance money wasn’t paid in the coming hours, the generators would be shut off individually and the plant would be closed until the end of August.

The electricity company official added that the management of Ashdod port were threatening to auction off the spare parts at the end of August if the storage bill and port fees for the equipment remained unpaid.

He said if the consignment did not arrive in Gaza in the next few days, the Palestinian Authority would have to send a new request for equipment which could take several months to arrive.

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