Latest news with #MohammadAlBashir
The National
29-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Syria signs $7bn Qatari-led deal to double power supply
Syria on Thursday signed a $7 billion deal with a Qatar -led business group aimed at doubling the country's power supply in the latest move to boost its postwar economy. The Syrian government signed an agreement with a consortium of companies led by Qatar 's UCC Holding to add 5,000 megawatts to the national grid. The country is being battered by a severe power crisis. 'Today, we are witnessing a historic moment that marks a turning point in Syria's energy and electricity sector, as we work to rebuild the crumbling infrastructure of this vital sector,' Syria's energy minister Mohammad Al Bashir said in a speech during a signing ceremony at the Syrian presidential palace in Damascus. 'This memorandum strengthens regional co-operation and integration in the energy sector and helps us promote clean and renewable energy projects,' he added. The Syrian state is able to supply only two to three hours of electricity per day in most areas – a crisis that interim President Ahmad Al Shara has pledged to address. The lifting of sweeping sanctions on Syria has rekindled interest among global investors, with several major companies already establishing a foothold in the war-ravaged economy. The agreement includes the development of four combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plants, in Deir Ezzor, Mhardeh, Zayzoun in Hama province, and Treifawi in Homs province, with a total capacity of about 4,000 megawatts. It also covers a 1,000-megawatt solar power plant in Wadyan al-Rabee in southern Syria. The deal has been spearheaded by the Qatari energy and construction company UCC Holding and involves the US company Power international USA, and the Turkish companies Cengiz Enerji and Kalyon Enerji. UCC chief executive Ramez Al Khayyat praised the agreement, which he said 'marks a new phase of joint work to rebuild Syria by achieving self-sufficiency and ensuring sustainable development'. 'We will use the latest equipment in the energy sector, and the project will create over 50,000 direct jobs and 250,000 indirect jobs, contributing to the support of Syria's labour market,' he added. Fourteen years of war have decimated Syria's electricity network, reducing its capacity from 9.5 gigawatts in 2011 to 1.6 gigawatts today. The United Nations estimates that billions of dollars will be needed to rebuild it. US President Donald Trump announced the lifting of sanctions during his recent Gulf tour, a day before the historic Trump-Al Shara meeting in Riyadh. The US President said he wanted to give the new regime a "chance at greatness". The EU on Wednesday formalised its own decision to begin lifting economic sanctions, while leaving some in place related to the former regime of Bashar Al Assad.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Türkiye, Syria agree to enhance energy infrastructure and supply
Türkiye has committed to supplying Syria with two billion cubic metres of natural gas annually, a move that is set to enhance the power generation capacity of the war-torn country. The announcement was made during a joint news conference in Damascus, where Türkiye's Energy Minister, Alparslan Bayraktar, and his Syrian counterpart Mohammad Al Bashir signed a cooperation agreement to strengthen their energy partnership. The gas exports from Turkey are expected to contribute to an additional 1,300MW of electricity production in Syria. Minister Bayraktar expressed Türkiye's intention to triple electricity exports to Syria, reaching up to 1,000MW in the coming months. This increase in energy supply is projected to extend power availability in Syria to up to 12 hours per day. The commencement of gas supply is scheduled for June, as the two nations focus on finalising the construction of a connecting gas pipeline. Minister Al Bashir stated: "This will significantly boost electricity generation, which will positively impact the Syrian people's electricity needs." The ministers also discussed the completion of a 400-kilovolt line that will facilitate the import of approximately 500MW of electricity into Syria. The infrastructure is expected to be operational by the end of the year or soon after. Moreover, the cooperation extends to inviting Turkish companies to invest in various sectors within Syria, including mining, phosphate production, electricity generation and distribution. Syria has been grappling with severe power shortages, with state-supplied electricity being limited to just a few hours a day in most areas. The country's energy crisis worsened after Hayat Tahrir Al Sham assumed control in December, disrupting the oil supply that was predominantly sourced from Iran for power generation. "Türkiye, Syria agree to enhance energy infrastructure and supply" was originally created and published by Offshore Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Al Arabiya
22-05-2025
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Turkey says increasing energy exports to Syria
Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Thursday in Damascus that his country would ramp up energy exports to Syria to help boost electricity supplies as its neighbor seeks to recover after years of war. 'We want to triple our current electricity exports to meet Syria's electricity needs and realize an electricity export of approximately 1,000 megawatts in the coming months,' said Bayraktar during a press conference with his Syrian counterpart Mohammad al-Bashir. 'In a very short time', Turkey also plans to start gas exports to Syria's Aleppo and Homs 'of approximately two billion cubic meters per year', Bayraktar said, after signing an agreement with Bashir on energy cooperation. The Turkish minister added that the exports would add 'an additional contribution of 1,200 or 1,300 megawatts' to Syria's electricity production. He expressed hope that the moves would help boost Syria's electricity supply to more than 10 hours a day. Bashir said the two sides agreed to activate a gas pipeline from Turkey to Syria in June. Earlier this month, the ministers said they had reached a deal for Turkey to supply Syria with six million cubic meters of natural gas a day through a pipeline running from Kilis in southern Turkey to Aleppo in northern Syria. Syria's new authorities, who toppled Bashar al-Assad in December, are seeking to rebuild the country's infrastructure and economy after almost 14 years of civil war. The conflict badly damaged Syria's power infrastructure, leading to cuts that can last for more than 20 hours a day. Bayraktar said that 'the framework agreement we signed together today in the field of energy and minerals and hydrocarbons constitutes an important roadmap'. Turkey is ready to develop projects to help improve Syrians' living conditions 'with our own companies - state companies, private companies and international partnerships', he added. Bashir said they had also agreed 'to form specialized technical committees' on energy to 'complete the agreement procedures' and follow up on implementation. Syria is seeking to attract investments, particularly after the United States and the European Union announced this month that they would lift economic sanctions. In March, Qatar said it had begun funding gas supplies to Syria from Jordan, in a move aimed at addressing electricity production shortages and improving infrastructure. Both Turkey and Qatar have close ties with Syria's new authorities and were the first two countries to reopen their embassies in Damascus after al-Assad's ouster.
The National
22-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Turkey to provide 2 billion cubic metres of gas annually to Syria, minister says
Turkey will provide 2 billion cubic metres of natural gas to Syria annually, Turkey's Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on Thursday, in a joint news conference in Damascus with his Syrian counterpart, Mohammad Al Bashir, as they signed a joint co-operation agreement to boost energy collaboration. Mr Bayraktar said that Turkey's gas exports to Syria will contribute to an additional 1,300 megawatts of electricity production in the country and that Anakara aims to triple electricity exports to Syria up to 1,000 megawatts in coming months. Supplies will help increase power hours in Syria up to 12 hours per day, and the two will also explore natural resources to help reconstruction efforts, he added. Turkey will start supplying Syria, which has suffered from severe power shortages, with gas in June as the two work on completing a gas pipeline connecting them, Mr Al Bashir said in the presser. "This will significantly boost electricity generation, which will positively impact the Syrian people's electricity needs." The two minister discussed completing a 400-kilovolt line that links the countries, contributing to importing around 500 megawatts of electricity into Syria, to be ready by the end of the year or shortly thereafter. Cooperation also includes opening the door for Turkish companies to invest in mining, phosphate, electricity generation and electricity distribution in Syria. "There is very intensive work underway regarding the discovery of new natural resources, whether gas or oil, on land or at sea," Mr Bayraktar said. Syria suffers from severe power shortages, with state-supplied electricity available for only for a few hours a day in most areas. Damascus used to receive the bulk of its oil for power generation from Iran before Hayat Tahrir Al Sham took power in December.
Asharq Al-Awsat
09-05-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Damascus, Ankara Agree Natural Gas Deal for Syria
Syrian Energy Minister Mohammad al-Bashir said Friday Damascus and Ankara had reached a deal for Türkiye to supply natural gas to the war-torn country via a pipeline in the north. "I agreed with my Turkish counterpart Alparslan Bayraktar on supplying Syria with six million cubic meters of natural gas a day through the Kilis-Aleppo pipeline," Bashir said in a statement carried by state news agency SANA. Kilis is near Türkiye's border with Syria, which is north of the city of Aleppo. The deal will "contribute to increasing the hours of electricity provision and improve the energy situation in Syria", Bashir added. Syria's authorities, who toppled Bashar al-Assad in December, are seeking to rebuild the country's infrastructure and economy after almost 14 years of civil war. The conflict badly damaged Syria's power infrastructure, leading to cuts that can last for more than 20 hours a day. Bayraktar told the private CNN-Turk broadcaster late Thursday that "we will provide natural gas to Syria from Kilis within the next three months". "This gas will be used in electricity generation at the natural gas power plant in Aleppo," he said, confirming an expected daily flow of six million cubic meters. In March, Qatar said it had begun funding gas supplies to Syria from Jordan, in a move aimed at addressing electricity production shortages and improving infrastructure. That announcement said the initiative was set to generate up to 400 megawatts of electricity daily in the first phase, with production capacity to gradually increase at the Deir Ali station southeast of Damascus. Both Türkiye and Qatar have close ties with Syria's transitional government, and were the first two countries to reopen their embassies in Damascus after Assad's ouster. Both have also urged the lifting of sanctions on Syria. In January, Syria's electricity chief said two power ships were being sent from Türkiye and Qatar to increase supply after the United States eased sanctions, allowing fuel and electricity donations to Syria for six months. Last month, Britain said it was lifting energy production sector sanctions, a move Damascus said would "directly contribute to improving" Syrians' living conditions.
