ADEN // Work began to fully restore the electricity supply in Yemen’s Aden province on Wednesday, a day after the Emirates Red Crescent delivered spare parts and diesel for power stations.
For the previous ten days the electricity supply had dropped to just six hours a day due to a lack of fuel and damage to power stations caused by fighting between Houthi rebels and pro-government forces before the province was liberated last July.
Temperatures at this time of year can reach 40°C in the southern province, making living with only a few hours of electricity a day unbearable for civilians having to make do without air conditioning.
"Spare parts for the power stations and 5,000 tons of diesel [to fuel the power stations and generators] arrived in Aden on Tuesday," a delegate from the Emirates Red Crescent told The National.
Throughout the day the electricity was switched on for three hours before being turned off for three hours and then switched back on again.
“11,000 tons of diesel will arrive in the coming hours, and the UAE will also supply the electricity stations with more generators” arriving soon.
The delegate said the UAE had already given Dh500 million to Aden for the purpose of fully restoring the electricity supply, but added that “unfortunately, the problem of the electricity in Aden is big”.
The general manager of electricity in Aden, Amgad Manai, said an 80 megawatt generator had stopped functioning eights days before because of a lack of diesel and spare parts.
However, the generator began working again on Wednesday following the arrival of supplies from the UAE.
"Today the electricity worked for 12 hours, but when the next batch of diesel arrives in Aden and after we finish installating new parts in the power stations the electricity will work for 20 hours a day," Mr Manai told The National.
He said a meeting was held in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday to discuss permanent solutions to Aden’s electricity crisis. The Yemeni minister of electricity, the governor of Aden and Emirati officials were present.
“There is a plan that the electricity will work for six hours before cutting off for one hour,” Mr Manai said. “This plan will last until the tenth day of Ramadan,” he added, thanking the UAE for its efforts in responding to Aden’s electricity crisis.
foreign.desk@thenational.ae