Jordan, Syria agree to re-operate electric interconnection

AMMAN — Jordan, Syria and Lebanon on Wednesday agreed to deliver Jordanian electricity to Lebanon.

The decision came during a ministerial meeting attended by Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Hala Zawati, Syria's Minister of Electricity Ghassan Zamel and Lebanon's Minister of Energy and Water Walid Fayyad. 

During the meeting, an action plan and a timetable to re-operate the interconnection line between Jordan and Syria were set.

Talks also went over the required technical studies and agreements to implement the project.

Zawati, in press remarks, said that technical teams were also formed to complete the work within a specific time frame.

The action plan focuses on upgrading the required infrastructure in Syria, she noted.

Zamel highlighted Syria's efforts, since the launch of the project, to supply Lebanon with Jordanian electricity through Syria.  

Syria's Public Establishment for Transmission and Distribution of Electricity has started construction activities for the electrical interconnection line that was destroyed by “armed terrorist gangs”, he said.

He added that the establishment has managed to secure the necessary materials despite “an unjust siege imposed on the Syrian people”.

“We also gathered the necessary information about the power stations to be given to the Jordanian side to complete the necessary technical studies for a synchronous connection between the Syrian and Jordanian networks,” Zamel said.

The studies need some three months to complete, during which Syria would fully rehabilitate the interconnection line, he added.

Fayyad said that the meeting shows the three countries' “solid” relations and aims to enhance Lebanon's energy security.

The three ministers agreed on a roadmap to remove technical obstacles, he said.

The next step for Lebanon is to secure funding through the World Bank, Fayyad said.

He commended Jordan's role in enhancing cooperation with Lebanon.

In 2001, Jordan and Syria were connected through a 400-kilovolt amperes (kVA) transmission line. However, in mid-2012 the interconnection line went out of service. Syria and Lebanon are also connected through several interconnection lines on 400, 230 and 66 kVA.

The three countries are linked by a general exchange agreement and a general interconnection agreement within the eight electrical interconnection group, which includes Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Libya and Turkey.

Lebanon has been reeling from an economic crisis since October 2019, which has resulted in power and fuel shortages.