Türkiye to launch natural gas exports to Syria soon
DAMASCUS
Türkiye will soon initiate an annual gas export of approximately 2 billion cubic meters and aims to triple electricity export to Syria, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on May 22.
“We will shortly start a gas export of about 2 billion cubic meters annually, which can reach as far as Aleppo and Homs, providing an additional 1200-1300 megawatts to electricity production here,” Bayraktar said at a joint press conference following his meeting with his Syrian counterpart, Mohammad al-Bashir in Damascus.
Particularly in the short term, Türkiye plans to increase its current electricity exports to Syria by at least threefold in order to meet the country’s electricity needs, Bayraktar said.
Türkiye aims to export approximately 1000 megawatts of electricity in the upcoming months, the minister stated.
Bayraktar also noted that these projects aim to extend Syria’s current electricity supply, which lasts only a few hours, to cover up to half of the day.
Syria suffers from severe power shortages, with state-supplied electricity available for only two or three hours a day in most areas.
Syrian Minister Bashir also said that the natural gas pipeline coming from the Turkish southern city of Kilis is expected to become operational by June.
Following the meeting, a MoU in the fields of energy, mining and hydrocarbon was signed between the two countries.
The Turkish minister also held talks with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa. During the meeting, ongoing activities and new projects in the areas of energy and mining between the two countries were discussed.
