Despite brief moments of relief in the energy sector after the fall of the former regime in Syria, the country still suffers from a severe shortage of electricity and petroleum products. This reality highlights the deep deficits inherited from the previous government, compounded by years of international sanctions.
Today, Syria is receiving Azerbaijani gas like parched land awaiting rain. As the first deliveries flow in via Turkey’s Kilis–Aleppo pipeline, many Syrians are asking: What will actually change?
The Dream of Electricity
The Azerbaijani gas arriving in Syria is strictly for operational purposes, fuelling power plants, not households, contrary to popular belief. There is no significant shortage of cooking gas; the real crisis lies in generating electricity. According to factory worker Abdul Rahman Balid, 47, this step could solve “half of Syrians’ problems.”
“If electricity improves to five hours a day, Aleppo residents could abandon private generator subscriptions, saving about $50 per ampere each month, money currently going to the so-called electricity traders,” Balid told +963.
A September report from Aleppo’s provincial government, just before the regime’s fall, recorded 1,004 licensed private generators, excluding industrial units for factories. This illustrates the potential household savings that could be redirected into other essential needs amid the ongoing economic crisis.
The volume of Azerbaijani gas supplied to Syria is about 3.4 million cubic meters per day, according to Syrian Gas Company Deputy Director Suleiman Khaddour.
This, says Deputy Oil and Gas Director at the Ministry of Energy Riyad Al-Joubassi, could generate about 900 megawatts; benefiting both the industrial and service sectors.
Read also: Gas and Geopolitics: Can Baku Become the Middle East’s New Mediator?
Engineer Mohammed Al-Radwan, 56, believes “Azerbaijani gas will boost local production, especially by lowering electricity costs.” He adds: “Power is the foundation for reconstruction and the return of displaced people. Without energy, Syria cannot rise again. High private electricity costs have driven many industrialists abroad since 2012. Securing energy is the first step to attracting skilled workers and investors back.”
Lingering Doubts
Not everyone shares this optimism. Ziad Al-Qadi, 38, doubts the government’s promises, pointing to the dilapidated electrical infrastructure in need of a complete overhaul.
“All of Syria’s power sector was devastated by the war, both generation plants and distribution networks,” he told +963. “Many areas in Aleppo, especially in the east and the western and northern countryside, lack electricity networks altogether. What about other provinces? Without a nationwide campaign to rebuild these networks, the suffering will continue.”
The Azerbaijani gas deal is seen as a pivotal energy development, covering an entire calendar year with potential renewal, according to Khaddour. This gives Damascus breathing space to keep importing gas while seeking long-awaited domestic alternatives.
Last Saturday, the Syrian Ministry of Energy announced the start of natural gas deliveries from Azerbaijan via Turkey. Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Al-Suleiman said the initiative marks “a new phase toward stability and sustainable development,” according to state broadcaster Al-Ikhbariya.
Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar noted that electricity exports to Syria occur via eight connection points, with initial capacity to rise by 25% and eventually more than double. He added that “up to 2 billion cubic meters of natural gas can be exported annually to Syria, enough to meet the electricity needs of 5 million households,” as reported by Anadolu Agency.
Syrian Gas Company Director Youssef Al-Youssef said deliveries begin at the Qura Mazra’a Gas Station in Aleppo’s countryside at 745,000 cubic meters per day, rising to 3.4 million cubic meters within a week.
Electricity Transmission and Distribution Director Khaled Abu Di told Al-Ikhbariya that in the project’s first phase, gas will be pumped into the network, allowing the Aleppo thermal plant to shift from fuel oil to gas.
