Syria's聽electricity聽infrastructure聽has聽suffered $35 billion in damage during the nearly 14-year聽civil聽war,聽Electricity聽Minister Omar聽Shaqrouq聽said Wednesday.
Shaqrouq told reporters聽that a five-year plan has聽been prepared to repair and develop the grid and the ministry would need $39 billion to implement the plan until 2030.
Shaqrouq underlined that when the current government took office, it inherited a devastated power grid, which provided households聽with a maximum of two hours聽of聽electricity聽per day.
The government has聽since taken聽steps聽to improve the聽situation, he聽said.
鈥淲e are trying to increase聽electricity聽availability from two hours聽to eight hours聽per day. Right now, we cannot provide聽electricity聽around the clock because doing聽so would require 23 million cubic meters聽of gas聽and 5,000 tons聽of fuel daily,鈥� he聽said.
Shaqrouq聽said聽electricity聽services聽could improve if聽Syria聽gains聽access聽to oil and natural gas聽reserves聽in the north, currently occupied by the PKK/YPG terror group.
He added that plans聽have been prepared to repair power lines聽nationwide, but theft is聽hindering restoration efforts.
Despite the challenges, he聽said the government has聽managed to restore聽some power lines聽and is聽planning to provide 24-hour聽electricity聽to industrial cities.
He also聽said聽Syria聽wants聽to generate 1,000 megawatts聽of聽electricity聽from聽solar and wind energy projects聽in its聽first year.
A report on new聽electricity聽tariffs聽has聽been聽submitted to the government, and ensuring fair distribution of聽electricity聽remains聽one of the ministry鈥檚聽priorities, he聽said.
Bashar Assad,聽Syria鈥檚聽leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power聽since 1963.
Reporting by Muhammed Karabacak, Esref Musa, Ethem Emre Ozcan in Damascus
Writing by Seda聽Sevencan
Anadolu Agency
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