Barran Press
The General Electricity Corporation of Aden, Yemen's temporary capital, announced on Thursday, July 4th, 2024, that the "President" power plant had been shut down due to a fuel shortage, coinciding with a heatwave and worsening electricity service in the city.
The corporation stated in a press release, seen by "Barran Press," that the plant ceased operations at 8:00 AM on Thursday due to the depletion of crude oil fuel. It attributed the shortage to the obstruction of the main road in Abyan governorate, preventing oil tankers from reaching the plant.
For several days, tribal groups in Abyan have been blocking major roads in the governorate, including the "Lahmar" area, which connects Shabwa governorate to Aden, and another point on the coastal road linking Aden and Hadhramaut governorates.
The Abyan tribes' roadblocks are a demand for the release of Sheikh Ali Ashal Al-Ja'dani, a military officer who disappeared in Aden on June 12th. The tribes accuse the security authorities in Aden of negligence in revealing his whereabouts.
Aden, declared the temporary capital of Yemen, is experiencing its worst electricity crisis in decades, leading to angry protests by citizens due to the collapse of electricity service and the prolonged power outages in the temporary capital.
The electricity sector faces a government deficit, as acknowledged by Prime Minister Ahmed bin Mubarak, who stated in a previous television interview that the costs of importing oil derivatives for power plants in Aden are draining the state treasury. He added that two million dollars are being burned daily in the skies of Aden.