Qatar has agreed to send natural gas to Syria to help alleviate the country’s chronic electricity shortages. The natural gas will be used to generate 400 megawatts of electricity daily, according to Syrian state-run news agency SANA, in an effort to address the country’s energy crisis caused by years of conflict.
Syria’s interim Minister of Electricity, Omar Shaqrouq, stated that the Qatari gas supplies are expected to increase the daily electricity supply from just two hours to four hours per day.
Under the terms of the deal, Qatar will send 2 million cubic meters of natural gas daily to the Deir Ali power station, located south of Damascus, via a pipeline that passes through Jordan.
Qatar’s state-run news agency reported that this initiative is part of an agreement between the Qatar Fund for Development and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Jordan, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program. The goal is to address Syria’s severe electricity production shortages and improve the country’s infrastructure.
Syria’s economy and infrastructure, including its power grid, have been severely impacted by nearly 14 years of civil war and stringent Western sanctions on the government of former President Bashar Assad. Many Syrians who can afford it rely on solar power and private generators, while others endure lengthy periods without electricity.
Since the ousting of President Assad in a swift rebel offensive in December, the country’s new leaders have struggled to consolidate control over fragmented territories and begin reconstruction efforts. The United Nations estimated in 2017 that Syria’s reconstruction would cost at least $250 billion, but experts believe that figure could rise to $400 billion.
The United States remains cautious regarding Syria’s interim government and President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the former leader of the Islamist insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Washington has labeled HTS a terrorist organization and has been reluctant to ease sanctions.
However, in January, the U.S. took steps to ease some restrictions, issuing a six-month general license that allows certain transactions with the Syrian government, including energy sales and incidental transactions.
