Libya’s government has ordered state-owned Libya Iron and Steel Company (LISCO) to halt production amid an electricity shortage, according to local media reports.
Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah directed the Misrata-based company to connect its onsite power generation plant to the national electricity grid, according to state television.
The LISCO power station has a design capacity of 507 MW across six steam units and was built to supply electricity to the steel complex.
The move could temporarily disrupt LISCO’s steel output and exports, although the reports did not specify the expected duration of the production stoppage.
The production halt comes amid a worsening electricity shortage in Libya, with high temperatures contributing to power outages of up to 10 hours per day in some major cities and triggering protests.
LISCO is one of Libya’s largest industrial companies and among the few non-energy companies in the country that continue to export steel products. Its production capacity includes 1.1 mln tons of DRI, 650,000 tons of HBI and up to 1.7 mln tons of crude steel annually. Its product range includes slab, billet, rebar, wire rod, HRC, CRC and steel sections.