Syrian and World Bank officials met Thursday in Damascus to assess progress on the “Syria Electricity Emergency Project (SEEP)”, a major initiative aimed at rebuilding the country’s war-damaged power network.
The project seeks to rehabilitate high-voltage transmission lines, including two critical 400-kV interconnector lines damaged during the conflict, restoring Syria’s regional connectivity with Jordan and Turkey. It also includes the repair of high-voltage transformer substations in heavily affected areas with large numbers of returning refugees and internally displaced people, as well as the provision of spare parts and maintenance equipment.
In June, the World Bank approved a US$146 million grant to finance SEEP.
During Thursday’s meeting, Deputy Minister of Energy for Electricity Affairs Omar Shaqrouq and the World Bank delegation reviewed implementation progress and discussed potential additional funding to expand technical assistance and infrastructure investment. The proposed support aims to reduce transmission losses, enhance grid reliability, and strengthen the institutional capacity of Syria’s power sector.
The two sides also addressed procurement and financing frameworks in line with World Bank standards, including transparency, reporting, and disbursement procedures.
Launched after years of conflict that crippled Syria’s electricity infrastructure, SEEP is designed to restore essential power to areas where supply often lasts only two to four hours a day – shortages that have severely affected hospitals, water systems, and agriculture nationwide.
