Syria’s Master Plan for Renewable Energy

About 90 percent of Syria’s electric power comes thermal power plants fueled by heavy fuel oil and natural gas; and the country is now looking into using forms of renewable energy to provide its increasing need for energy. Various projects dealing with solar and wind energy, as well as bio mass as a fuel source, were mentioned inpowergenworldwide.

Syria is a member of the 145 strong International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) group of which a number of Middle Eastern countries now belong. Projects dealing with renewable energy in which Syria is either currently engaged in or planning to be involved in include a proposed tender for two wind turbine parks to generate a total of  130 MW; a program to install solar roofs on kindergartens attached to government buildings;  the installation of two kinds of solar water heaters in both private and public buildings, including the Al Mwassat Hospital in Damascus; and the installing of photo voltaic solar panels in rural areas, which already provide about 80 kwh of electricity. Some of these renewable energy projects are being done in cooperation with international companies like the Danish Vestas wind energy company, and the German company GTZ, which is already involved in t renewable energy projects in India and Pakistan.

Syria is also working with the Regional Centre for Renewable Energies and Energy based in Cairo; and is seeking a “common platform” for energy supply in to climate change.

According to the Center, Syria’s new master “renewables” plan will run to 2030. The tentative targets for the end of this period are:

1000-1500 MW of wind power

250 MW of biomass based plant

250 MW of PV plant

1 MTOE per annum of solar heat

Syria has a 5 year plan in which its National Energy Research Council, associated with the country’s energy ministry, will embark on projects costing $8 million USD. Although this is a small sum, it is nevertheless a start in the renewable energy direction. The two wind farms are to be built near the cities of Al Sukhna and Al Hijana, and will be constructed in a t project with Vesta.

Although most industrial concerns in Syria are still state owned (a carryover when Syria patterned itself after the former Soviet Union), more privatization is occurring, in the economic atmosphere being d by the country’s present leader, Bashar al-Asssad. This already accounts for more than two dozen manufacturers of solar water heaters alone.

(Source : Internet)