UNDP, Norway, Italy sign $10.7 million deal to bolster electricity supply in Syria

By Serdar Dincel

ISTANBUL (AA) - The UN Development Program (UNDP), and the governments of Norway and Italy have signed a $10.7 million agreement to rehabilitate the Deir Ali power plant in the Damascus countryside, in a bid to bolster electricity supply in southern Syria.

The project will rehabilitate Extension II of the Deir Ali power plant through urgent maintenance, the procurement and installation of key spare parts, and the training of technical personnel to ensure proper operation and maintenance, a UNDP statement said.

It is expected to restore about 120 megawatts of capacity, benefiting more than two million people in the Damascus countryside, Daraa, Quneitra, and Suwayda, where electricity supply remains critically limited, the statement added.

The Deir Ali power plant, situated about 30 kilometres south of Damascus, is one of Syria’s most important electricity generation facilities, with a total installed capacity of 1,450 MW when fully operational, supplying power to large areas of the country through the national grid.