Türkiye and Qatar to Send Power Ships to Syria Amid Energy Crisis

Türkiye and Qatar plan to deploy two electricity-generating ships to Syria to address the country’s worsening energy crisis, Syrian state news agency SANA reported on Jan. 7. Syria has been grappling with severe power shortages, with most regions receiving only two to three hours of electricity daily due to extensive infrastructure damage during the rule of former President Bashar al-Assad.

The transitional government will ensure that electricity supply is increased to eight hours a day within two months. The incoming ships can produce 800 megawatts, which is half of the power Syria produces currently. This will greatly enhance the grid, but the transitional government has not disclosed when these ships will arrive and where they will dock.

Khaled Abu Dai, head of the national electricity company, said that transmission lines would be installed to connect the ships to the nearest substations. He stressed that there was immense damage to Syria's energy infrastructure and that work was being carried out to rehabilitate generation, transformation, and connection systems.

This comes ahead of the U.S. relaxation of some restrictions on Syria's transitional government to make it easier for humanitarian assistance. The U.S. Treasury issued a six-month general license that allows limited transactions with the Syrian government, including certain energy sales, while maintaining broader sanctions on the war-torn nation.

Confirming a recent delegation visited Syria to assess its energy infrastructure, Alparslan Bayraktar, Turkey's Energy Minister said electricity will be the greatest challenge facing Syria. He continued to reiterate Turkey's commitment to help that country regain its former self.

A high-level consultation meeting was held in Istanbul to discuss Syria's reconstruction efforts. Plans for a "New Syria Reconstruction Forum" were announced; it is intended to unite Syrian entrepreneurs around the engine of economic recovery and sustainable development.

As Syria moves further along its reconstruction path, energy efficiency will prove to be a critical step towards a sustainable energy future.Measures such as the FORCE already save up to 10-15% of power usage, which have huge potential for relieving burdens on energy in all sectors. During crisis moments, such as those Syria currently faces and like those faced globally, including Israeli ones, energy efficiency across all sectors needs to accelerate in order to ensure long-term energy security and combat energy poverty. This journey will begin by introducing ENPOSS to Syria and other comparable countries to ensure that the latter has a bright future with regard to green energy and resilience.