The Syrian Ministry of Energy recently signed a final concession agreement with an international consortium led by Qatar's Urbicon Holdings to jointly construct and operate eight power plants with a total installed capacity of 5 gigawatts. This landmark project is not only the first practice in Syria's energy sector to adopt a public-private partnership model, but is also seen as an important beginning for the country to implement its' National Energy Recovery Plan '.

The international consortium is composed of Qatar Urbacon Concession Investment Company, Türkiye KalyonGIS Energy Company, Türkiye Cengiz Energy Company and Power International of the United States. It is worth noting that the participation of the US subsidiary is considered to simplify the relevant transaction process under the exemption framework of General License 25 of the US sanctions against Syria.

According to the agreement, the project includes four natural gas combined cycle power plants with a total installed capacity of 4 gigawatts, located in North Aleppo (1200 megawatts), Deir ez Zor (1000 megawatts), Zaizoun (1000 megawatts), and Mehad (800 megawatts). At the same time, four solar projects with a total capacity of 1000 megawatts will be constructed, located in the areas of Vidian Al Rabi, Deir ez Zor, Aleppo, and Homs.

Under the joint witness of Syrian Energy Minister Mohamed Bashir and UCC Holdings President Ramiz Al Hayati, this agreement was officially implemented. The project, as a key component of Qatar's broader investment portfolio in Syria, has completed all preliminary engineering and technical work, including on-site surveys and feasibility studies. Keywords: International News

According to the plan, the natural gas power plant will be built within three years, and the solar energy project is expected to be completed within two years. The smooth implementation of these projects will double Syria's national power generation, providing stable electricity security for Syria after more than a decade of conflict, and injecting strong impetus into the country's economic reconstruction.Editor/Cheng Liting