Qatar Offers Lebanon 2 Gas Plants and 20 Years of LNG Piped Through Syria

Qatar is offering Lebanon a complete power project rather than only fuel. It would arrange private financing, build two gas-fired plants, and run and operate the system. QatarEnergy would supply LNG under a 20-year contract. This matters because Electricite du Liban currently provides only a few hours of electricity each day, while Lebanon’s economy is expected to shrink by 6% to 7% this year.

The proposed plants would each have 825 megawatts of capacity. One would be built at Deir Ammar in northern Lebanon and the other at Zahrani in the south. QatarEnergy would deliver gas through a floating storage and regasification unit, or FSRU, and through the Arab Gas Pipeline via Syria. Payment obligations and government guarantees remain open for negotiation.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Qatar would finance, run, and operate the project. QatarEnergy and TotalEnergies would jointly develop a solar plant as the first stage. Both governments would need to approve the plan quickly for the build-out to take about three years, but Qatar’s LNG export difficulties create a major supply risk.

Each proposed combined-cycle plant would have 825 megawatts of capacity. Together, they would provide 1,650 megawatts. That is the planned output capacity, not a guarantee of constant generation. Fuel availability, maintenance, grid conditions, and financing would affect how much electricity actually reaches consumers.

Lebanon’s current supply is described in terms of service hours rather than megawatts. Electricite du Liban delivers only a few hours of power each day. Private diesel generators supplied about half of the country’s electricity at the start of 2026, according to the report cited by The National. This shows the scale of the reliability problem, even without an exact current capacity comparison.

The program also adds 800 megawatts of solar, 440 megawatts of wind, battery storage, and 300 megawatts of imports from Syria. If approved quickly, the gas-plant build-out could take three years. Its effect would depend on completing the grid and securing the LNG needed to run the plants.

A combined-cycle gas plant generates electricity in two linked stages. Natural gas first burns in a gas turbine, which spins a generator. The turbine’s exhaust is still extremely hot, so the plant captures that heat instead of releasing it directly. The heat boils water and produces steam, which drives a second turbine and generator.

A simple gas turbine uses only the first stage. Its hot exhaust leaves after the gas turbine has produced electricity. In a combined-cycle plant, that exhaust becomes a second energy source. The plant therefore extracts more useful electricity from the same amount of gas. This generally reduces fuel use per unit of electricity and lowers operating emissions compared with a simple gas turbine.

The proposed plants at Deir Ammar and Zahrani would both use combined-cycle technology and have 825 megawatts of capacity. Their efficiency would help, but it would not remove the need for reliable gas deliveries. Qatar’s LNG export problems could still limit how much electricity they produce.

The first route uses a floating storage and regasification unit, or FSRU. LNG would arrive by ship, remain stored on the floating facility, and be warmed back into gaseous form. The gas could then enter Lebanon’s network and supply the proposed power plants. The plan gives this route capacity of 3.5 million cubic meters per day.

The second route would use the Arab Gas Pipeline through Syria. Gas would move overland through the pipeline and then reach Lebanon. The proposed Syrian route is listed at 4.5 million cubic meters per day. Using both routes would give the program two delivery channels instead of relying on one physical connection.

Together, the routes are designed to support the two 825-megawatt plants. However, the article says the gas supply depends on Qatari LNG getting out of the Gulf. An FSRU and a pipeline can provide different paths into Lebanon, but neither solves a shortage of LNG at the export source.

Lebanon’s proposed gas plants depend on a steady supply of Qatari LNG. If attacks or shipping disruptions prevent that fuel from leaving the Gulf, the plants could operate below capacity or face interruptions. That would weaken the program’s promise of more reliable electricity and could leave Lebanon dependent on existing generators and limited state-utility service.

The article describes a direct supply risk. An Iranian missile strike on Ras Laffan on March 18 knocked out two of Qatar’s 14 LNG trains. QatarEnergy CEO Saad al-Kaabi later said Qatar was producing a “very minute” volume of LNG. LNG flows through Hormuz remain more than 75% below pre-war levels.

QatarEnergy has extended force majeure on deliveries every month since early March. The proposed alternative pipeline through Syria does not remove the broader gas-supply problem if Qatar cannot provide fuel. Lebanon may gain generating capacity on paper, but dependable power would still depend on shipping, exports, and a working regional gas network.

Lebanon’s state utility, Electricite du Liban, currently provides only a few hours of electricity each day. Private diesel generators supplied about half of the country’s electricity at the start of 2026. With the economy expected to shrink by 6% to 7%, relying on Lebanese public funds for a major power build-out would be difficult.

Qatar’s proposal shifts much of the burden abroad. Qatar would finance, build, run, and operate the project, while QatarEnergy would supply gas through a 20-year LNG contract. Private financing would replace Lebanese public money. The program also includes solar, wind, battery storage, and imports from Syria, creating a wider investment package.

This arrangement could accelerate construction if both governments approve it quickly. It also creates obligations that are not yet settled. The draft leaves payment responsibilities and guarantees open for negotiation. Lebanon would therefore gain foreign capital and expertise, but it would still need to agree how the project is paid for and secured.

Natural gas is the fuel for the proposed power plants. The plants burn it to spin turbines and generate electricity. The electricity then enters Lebanon’s power grid, which carries it to consumers. A reliable system needs all three parts working together: available gas, functioning generation, and a grid able to distribute the output.

The proposed 20-year QatarEnergy LNG contract is meant to secure fuel over a long period. LNG would reach Lebanon through an FSRU or through the Arab Gas Pipeline via Syria. The two proposed plants would convert that gas into 1,650 megawatts of generation. Solar, wind, batteries, and imports would add other sources and support the wider program.

Long-term contracts create planning and investment certainty, but they cannot guarantee deliveries if exports or shipping are disrupted. QatarEnergy has extended force majeure monthly since early March, and Hormuz LNG flows remain sharply reduced. Lebanon’s future supply would therefore depend on both contractual commitments and functioning regional infrastructure.