The Ministry of Electricity in Syria has signed on a group of unidentified companies from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to establish a 300 MW solar PV power plant in the war torn country.
According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (Sana), the said project under the cooperation agreement with the consortium is planned to be located in Wedian al-Rabea region near Tishreen Power Station in the countryside of capital city Damascus.
A conflict prone region, Syria's power infrastructure is sorely unsatisfactory to meet the electricity requirements of its denizens. There are frequent power cuts and diesel to run generators is expensive too. According to a New York Times (NYT) May 2021 report, off-grid solar panels are being increasingly preferred by local populace in some worst affected regions, with some of these panels already used for a few years in countries elsewhere.
In Syria, solar capacity at the end of 2020 was a negligible 2 MW out of 1.5 GW renewable capacity with non-renewable capacity of 8.625 GW accounting for 85% of the power generation, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
However, activity in the solar segment is starting to pick up pace in the Arab nation. In April 2021, the country announced the construction of a 33 MW solar power plant in Aleppo with an aim to generated 52 million kWh annually. It will be developed in 6 phases of 5.5 MW each. The project may be expanded to 60 MW in the future, according to the ministry.
Syria supports the development of solar and wind energy projects with provision to avail loans to cover up to 70% of the estimated project cost through the nation's Industrial Bank. The bank offers finance for the project in cooperation with the National Center for Energy Research.
In May 2020, Syria's Public Establishment of Electricity for Generation (PEEG) was looking for bidders to establish 67 MW solar power capacity (see 67 MW Solar PV Capacity Tendered In Syria).
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