Tripoli: The General Electricity Company has pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into the causes behind the partial blackout that recently affected the western section of the electrical grid. The company aims to determine whether the disruption was due to technical malfunctions or a deliberate act.
According to Libyan News Agency, the company announced that a sudden and severe disruption occurred at 1:28 AM involving the western circuit breaker of the electrical grid. This coincided with the tripping of the Misrata-Khoms 400 kV circuit and the Bir al-Ghanam-Ruways circuit, leading to a significant drop in grid frequency from 50 Hz to approximately 47.5 Hz. The imbalance between production and load resulted in a partial blackout.
Initial operational data suggests that the unexpected outage of transmission circuits directly caused the network disruption. The timing and nature of these events necessitate a comprehensive investigation to ascertain whether they were due to technical failures, external interference, or deliberate actions.
The company highlighted that this blackout occurred amidst recent unauthorized tampering with substations and transmission circuits, which pose a serious threat to grid security. Such actions could lead to cascading failures, affecting generating units, substations, and transmission circuits. The company stressed that the safety of the transmission network is as vital as generating capacity, warning that any main transmission circuit failure could lead to widespread disruptions.
The General Electricity Company assured that its engineers and technicians are working tirelessly to restore grid stability. It confirmed that technical investigations are underway with transparency and responsibility, analyzing recordings from protection and control systems and operational events. The company committed to presenting the investigation results to the Libyan people transparently upon completion, stating that any proven negligence or interference endangering the grid will not be concealed.
In conclusion, the company emphasized its commitment to taking all necessary technical and legal measures, in coordination with relevant authorities, to protect critical facilities like generation and transmission stations, transmission lines, and control centers, which are vital to the country's security and stability.