Qatar announces Lebanon electricity plan with solar plant as first project
QatarEnergy and TotalEnergies have agreed to develop a solar plant as part of a proposed Qatari-backed electricity project. Lebanon’s Cabinet has yet to consider the plans.
Qatar announced a plan on 16 October 2026 to support Lebanon’s strained electricity sector, with a QatarEnergy–TotalEnergies solar plant proposed as an initial project. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani set out the plan in Beirut after meeting Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. It could offer relief in a country where the state utility supplies only a few hours of power a day, but the project still needs further consideration in Lebanon.
What Qatar and Lebanon announced
Sheikh Mohammed said the two countries had agreed on a comprehensive framework for energy cooperation and would present viable solutions. QatarEnergy had reached an agreement with France’s TotalEnergies to jointly develop a solar power plant in Lebanon as the first project, he said. He described the intended investment as one that would benefit Lebanon’s economy and the Qatari companies and entities taking part.
Salam said Qatar would finance, implement and operate the electricity project without an upfront investment cost to the Lebanese Treasury. He said it was intended to provide more stable power at a lower cost while rehabilitating and modernising electricity generation infrastructure. Those are the government’s stated aims; neither leader gave a plant capacity, site, budget or construction timetable in the reported announcement.
Salam said he would put the electricity plans before Lebanon’s Cabinet soon. Cabinet approval was not announced. The National quoted a Lebanese official as saying the two countries were in the final stages of finalising an agreement, leaving the terms and implementation to be settled.
Why Lebanon’s power supply needs support
Lebanon’s state utility, Electricité du Liban, can provide only a few hours of electricity each day. That shortage has left households and businesses dependent on other supplies. The National reported that private diesel generators accounted for about half the country’s electricity production at the beginning of 2026, at a high cost to consumers. The figure describes the start of the year, rather than a measured share at the time of the announcement.
Solar panels have become more common in Lebanon, but their initial cost is prohibitive for many households, The National reported. A large electricity project would address a different part of that problem: the supply available through national infrastructure. Lebanon’s financial position also constrains its options. The National reported a forecast that the economy would contract by 6 to 7 percent in 2026, making outside support especially significant for a project that Salam says would require no prior state investment.
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Sources and context
- Qatar announces ‘massive’ solar plant project in LebanonAl Jazeera (report credits Al Jazeera Staff and AP; AP is the reporting origin for this item)
- Qatar pledges to help modernise Lebanon's energy sector with electricity project | The NationalThe National
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.