Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
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Damascus, SANA – Minister of Electricity Imad Khamis reviewed on Thursday the situation of electricity and outlined plans to secure all the requirements for repair works of damaged power generating facilities and high voltage transmission lines so as to address the decrease in power production.
The Minister was addressing the parliamentary Balance and Accounts Committee during a meeting to discuss the Ministry’s budget for the fiscal year 2015 that was set at SYP 55,504 billion.
Khamis clarified that the recent increase in the rationalization hours of electricity consumption is attributed to the frequent terrorist attacks on the generating and transmission plants and the lines which supply fuel to those facilities.
He said 36 of the 53 generating turbines which run on burning fossil fuel have gone out of service due to the lack of fuel, causing a sharp drop in power production from 9,000 megawatts before the outset of the ongoing crisis in 2011 to 1,600 megawatts currently.
Despite the terrorism-inflicted severe damage caused to many of the 480 transmission stations, Khamis stressed that 380 to 400 of those stations are currently in full readiness after huge rehabilitation and repair efforts have been put to put these stations back into service.
He assured that 50 % of the high voltage transmission lines have also been secured and put in a state of readiness despite the 614 breakdowns that were inflicted since the beginning of 2014 until September.
The Ministry outlined a “fully fledged plan” for rehabilitating the electricity networks in the areas from which terrorists were expelled, citing the notable quick pace at which rehabilitation and repair works were completed in Adra area in Damascus Countryside in the past period.
As for investment plans, the Minister noted that there are 4 power generating projects that are already under way at a total capacity of up to 2000 megawatts. The projects are being carried out at the stations of Deir Ali and Jandar.
He also pointed to contracts that are being worked on to import generating and transmission equipment at a value of around 400 million Euros.
Haifa Said
