August 4, 20120 comments
Press Release
Government Information Office
02/08/2012
In a new chapter of Palestinian victory over adversity, after six years of bitter human suffering in Gaza Strip due to
the siege and the destruction of the only power station in Gaza Strip by Israeli bombs in 2006 which paralyzed Gazan
life, the Power and Natural Resoures Authority announce that today the Power Station is operating at full capacity for
the first time in six years, the culmination of strenuous and continuous efforts by the Authority to rebuild in spite of
extreme difficulties presented by the siege preventing necessary tools and equipment from entering Gaza.
Gaza Power Plant
The Power and Natural Resoures Authority announces this national achievement and dedicates it to the generous
Palestinian people, victims of the Israeli siege, and martyrs and casualties of the Israeli oppressive war, and confirms
the following:
- Running the Power Station at full power will be at night only for the time being, and during the day 60 megawatts only
will be run due to the limited supply of fuel, which is still less than the 600,000 liters of diesel the station needs
daily.
- The current total energy needs are 360 megawatts, while the amount in 2006 was 240 megawatts. This increase is due to
natural population growth and urban development in Gaza. The fuel that is now available to run the power station cannot
produce more than 240 megawatts even including the Israeli and Egyptian lines – this is largest amount of fuel provided
in the history of the Gaza Strip, with varying the periods of consumption during the year.
- For the power station to be able to run at full capacity, all parties, especially Egypt, must carry our their
responsibilities to allow adequate fuel supplies to arrive so the station will run, specifically the Qatari fuel. We
also demand that international institutions pressure the Israeli occupation to end the siege, thus the suffering of the
Palestinian people. The International Institutions should also speed up implementation of a natural gas line from Egypt
to Gaza to solve the fuel problem. It also stresses that the parties concerned need to expedite the implementation of
projects to link Gaza with the Egyptian and the Arab networks, which were previously approved to cover the entire
deficit in the Gaza Strip.
Finally, we in the Power Authority express our thanks and our deep appreciation for all who stood by our side to achieve
this huge national achievement, especially the Islamic Development Bank for financing the project, and Egypt and Qatar
for providing us the donated fuel. We hope that the Arab and Islamic nation will permanently provide us with all our
fuel needs, and continuously strengthen Palestinian steadfastness against the Zionist occupation and the international
siege.
Translation by Mukarram AbuAlouf
Revised by JWP
ENDS