Syria, ACWA Power agree to explore 2.5 GW of solar and wind capacity

Syria’s Energy Ministry and Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power signed a joint development agreement to study the development of about 2.5 gigawatts (GW) of solar and wind power, along with energy storage and a planned national training center, the Saudi company said on Wednesday.

Under the deal, ACWA Power will work with the ministry to identify sites for approximately 1 GW of solar capacity and 1.5 GW of wind, with potential grid-scale storage to enhance system reliability and flexibility, ACWA Power said in a statement.

The deal sets a framework for detailed technical and commercial studies on existing plants and the national grid, and for evaluating, developing and implementing power projects, including renewables and storage, it added.

The company will also study the creation of a national training center to graduate technicians qualified to work on approved projects in both construction and operations.

The agreement was signed at Syria’s Energy Ministry in Damascus in the presence of Syrian Energy Minister Mohammad Al-Bashir and ACWA Power’s Chairman Mohammad Abunayyan.

Commenting on the deal, Ahmad Al-Sulayman, a spokesperson of the Syrian Energy Ministry, said: “This agreement comes within the framework of the Ministry’s vision to strengthen reliance on renewable energy sources and to develop national infrastructure in line with global trends in the energy transition.”

• ACWA Power
• Mohammad Abunayyan.
• Mohammad al-Bashir
• Syria’s Energy Ministry