Turkey to export gas to ease Syria’s power shortage

Turkey will provide two billion cubic metres of natural gas to Syria each year, Turkish energy minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on Thursday.

In a joint news conference with his Syrian counterpart Mohammed Al-Bashir in Damascus, Bayraktar said that Turkey’s gas exports to Syria will contribute to an additional 1,300 megawatts (MW) of electricity production in the country.

Ankara, which supported rebel forces in neighbouring Syria throughout the 13-year civil war that ended with the ousting of Bashar Al-Assad, is now positioning itself to play a major role in Syria’s reconstruction.

Turkey will also provide an additional 1,000MW of electricity to Syria for its short term needs, he added.

Syrian energy minister Al-Bashir said they agreed to activate a gas pipeline that connects Syria with Turkey, with gas flows expected in June.

“This will significantly boost electricity generation, which will positively impact the Syrian people’s electricity needs,” Al-Bashir said.

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The two ministers discussed completing a 400-kilovolt line that links the countries, contributing to importing around 500MW of electricity into Syria, to be ready by the end of the year or shortly thereafter, he added.

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,” Bayraktar said.