Damascus, SANA- Several regional and international agreements have been lately signed by Syria in the field of energy. These agreements have crystalized through new strategies developed by the government to achieve a complete transformation in this sector, in a way that serves the Syrians and achieves a breakthrough in the economy.
The development of Syria’s energy sector is crucial for the Syrian government as it is witnessing a major transformation in light of international diplomatic and economic openness that has resulted in various agreements, with the aim of modernizing the infrastructure and achieving energy security.
Agreement with an alliance of international companies
At the international level, Syria has affirmed, through many of its officials, its efforts to attract foreign investment, especially with regard to energy and infrastructure projects.
As part of the ongoing efforts to support energy projects, Syria and Turkey signed an agreement on May 22nd to develop the partnership between the two countries in the fields of energy and natural resources.
Turkish minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar has announced, later the completion of work on connecting the natural gas pipeline from Kilis to Aleppo, as part of an agreement to export two billion cubic meters of natural gas to Syria annually to convert it into electricity.
A gateway for investors to return
Syria has recently signed a significant agreement worth to $7 billion with an international company, focusing on enhancing the country’s electricity generation capacity. This deal includes the construction of four gas-fired power plants capable of producing 5,000 megawatts and a solar power plant with a 1,000-megawatt capacity. The agreement aims to modernize Syria’s electrical grid and improve energy security.
The agreement was signed with an alliance that includes the Turkish companies “Calion” Holding and” Genghis” Holding, the Qatari company “UCC”, and the American company “Power International”, in a move that the Minister of Energy, Mohammed Al-Bashir, said the move represents the beginning of the investment process in Syria, and will improve the quality of service, provide job opportunities, and contribute to economic development.
Bilateral international cooperation
To support ways to develop energy fields, Syrian Minister of Energy Al-Bashir, discussed a few days ago with the Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden in Damascus, Ms. Jessica Safardestrom, prospects for bilateral cooperation between the two countries, and strategies for improving the energy reality, which contributes to supporting economic and service stability.
On July 12, Syria and Azerbaijan also signed a memorandum of understanding that includes cooperation and coordination in the fields of energy, supplying natural gas to Syria through Turkey, and cooperation and coordination in oil exploration.
Following the signing of the memorandum, Al-Bashir said in a post on the X platform: “An agreement was signed with the company “SOCAR” regarding the supply of natural gas to Syria in a step towards energy independence and building strategic partnerships that serve the nation and the citizen”.
Overcoming challenges
Syria is drafting many laws and procedures in an attempt to move the energy sector forwards, including legislation related to development and capacity building of national cadres, all of which require overcoming the challenges of destroyed infrastructure and securing the necessary sources of funding.
In light of the economic and environmental challenges it faces, Syria is also moving towards dealing with the issue of alternative energy to achieve sustainability and reduce dependence on traditional sources through government and private initiatives.
khadega/Mazen Eyon
