A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the relevant agencies of Türkiye and Syria, setting a framework for long-term cooperation in the fields of earth sciences, mining, energy raw materials, and geothermal energy.
The MoU was signed between the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA) and MTA International Company (MTAIC) of Türkiye and the Syrian General Directorate of Geology and Mineral Resources during the visit of Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar to Damascus.
Transfer of geothermal expertise
Following the signing ceremony, Minister Bayraktar stated that Türkiye wanted to transfer its knowledge and experience in the field of geothermal energy to Syria. Bayraktar noted that Türkiye is one of the leading countries in the world in terms of installed geothermal electricity generation capacity, and stated that Türkiye’s experience could be utilized in efforts to bring Syria’s energy resources into the economy.
The scope of studies on geothermal resources and details regarding potential project sites are expected to become clearer in the near future.
Comprehensive cooperation in mining and energy
Other opportunities for collaboration were discussed during the meetings between the government officials. One major avenue is a large-scale project for the development of phosphate resources, encompassing production sites, industrial facilities, and railway infrastructure to transport products to ports.
Another pillar of the cooperation agreement is electricity trade between the two countries. With the commissioning of the Birecik-Aleppo electricity transmission line, it is planned to increase the electricity capacity supplied from Türkiye to Syria to 800-900 MW.
Source: Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources via our Turkish language platform JeotermalHaberler
