Damascus, SANA-Minister of Energy, Engineer Mohammad al-Bashir, affirmed that intensive efforts are underway to restructure Syria’s energy sector and launch holding companies to enhance production and develop infrastructure, in a way that meets citizens’ daily needs and serves as a foundation for economic development projects in the country.

In an interview with Syrian Al-Ikhbariya TV on Friday, Minister al-Bashir said that the ministry inherited a deteriorated infrastructure in the sectors of oil, electricity, water, and mineral resources. This includes oil refineries, fields and wells, transport and distribution networks, and power generation stations that required fundamental rehabilitation.

Al-Bashir clarified that the establishment of holding companies in the fields of oil and electricity is currently under study. These companies would handle all operations including exploration, production, transportation, refining, generation, and distribution, similar to major global oil companies such as Saudi Aramco and Qatar Petroleum.

The Minister of Energy pointed out that power generation stations have suffered severe deterioration due to war and sanctions, with some stations, such as Zayzoun and Mhardeh,ceasing operations entirely. Others operate at only 50 to 70 percent capacity. He noted that intensive efforts have increased generation capacity to around 5,000 megawatts, but shortages in gas and fuel supply limit operating hours to just 4 to 5 hours per day across all provinces.