Partial blackout hits Tripoli and western Libyan cities as GECOL explains cause

Tripoli and several cities in western Libya experienced a widespread blackout in the early hours of Monday following a sudden and severe disturbance affecting the western section of the power grid, according to the General Electricity Company of Libya (GECOL).

GECOL said the disturbance occurred at 1:28 a.m., coinciding with the shutdown of the 400-kV Misrata–Khoms circuits and the Bir Al-Ghanam–Al-Ruwais circuit. This caused the grid frequency to fall sharply from 50 Hz to around 47.5 Hz within a short period, disrupting the balance between power generation and demand and resulting in a partial blackout.

The company said preliminary operational data indicated that the sudden loss of the transmission circuits was the immediate cause of the disturbance. However, it stressed that determining the exact cause would require a comprehensive technical investigation to establish whether it resulted from technical faults, external interference, or deliberate actions.

GECOL noted that several substations and transmission circuits have recently been subjected to unauthorized interference and violations, warning that such practices could threaten grid stability and trigger cascading failures that could force generation units, substations, and transmission circuits out of service.

The company stressed that the stability of the electricity system depends not only on available generation capacity but also on the integrity of the transmission network and substations. It explained that the sudden loss of major transmission circuits could limit the grid’s ability to transmit electricity and maintain frequency, potentially causing widespread disruptions.

According to GECOL, engineers and technicians are continuing efforts to restore grid stability while conducting technical investigations, including an analysis of protection and control system records and the sequence of operational events, to determine the causes of the disturbance and establish responsibility based on the findings.

GECOL pledged to make the investigation results public once completed, saying it would not conceal any negligence, interference, or attack found to have contributed to putting the electricity grid at risk. It also said it would take the necessary technical and legal measures, in coordination with the relevant authorities, to protect generation and transmission facilities, substations, and control centers.