The Deir Amar power plant shut down early on Wednesday due to lack of fuel, local media reported.

Although the Finance Ministry approved this week the transfer of funds ($40 million) needed to purchase diesel fuel for both the Deir Ammar and Zahrani power plants, the tanker will unlikely be able to unload is cargo due to the bad weather conditions forecasted in Lebanon for the upcoming days.

The Zahrani plant is also due to stop operating on March 28.

Last month, the Parliament approved a payment of $265 million to allow EDL to purchase fuel, but the Finance Ministry did not allocate the funds needed for Deir Ammar and Zahrani until Tuesday.

EDL was expected to receive the $40 million from the Central Bank Wednesday afternoon, a source told The Daily Star newspaper.

The source explained that once weather conditions become favorable, it would take about 10-12 hours to unload the fuel, and that Deir Ammar would be able resume full power shortly afterward.