Mediterranean Action Plan

SYRIA - National study
resources. A proposal from several investors for a 100-500 MW farm is currently under
consideration by the Ministry of Electricity.
Several of the potential sites which have been identified by the Ministry of Electricity under a
wind resource assessment program 10 are located where infrastructure to transport and erect
wind turbines and the infrastructure to evacuate the electricity produced by the wind farms
exist.
In the end of 2002 the Wind Resource Assessment Project has been started in cooperation
with decon (Deutsche Energie-Consult), the project is aiming at identifying and promoting an
appropriate contribution of wind energy use to the power generation mix in Syria.
By means of the project activities the basis for a cost effective and environmentally
sustainable wind power generation in Syria shall be created in terms of:
Improved information on the spatial distribution of the wind energy resources.
Pre-visibility level evaluations of potential win park sites.
Recommendations for the further wind park development program in Syria.
On the job training of local staff.
The project obtained the permits from the local authorities for the erection of the 20
measurement stations. So far, for ten potential win park sites a one-year measurement cycle
has been completed and the data evaluated.
The so called Wind Atlas model as developed by RIS (Danish National Research
laboratories) was applied for analyzes of the wind conditions, that allows to determine the
detailed wind conditions in the wider surroundings of the measurements mast and thus to
select the optimal micro-sites and to develop a detailed lay-out of a wind park.
Five of the investigated sites proposals for which the calculated dynamic generation cost
range between 4,5 and 5,5 €cent per kWh are considered worth for further investigation and
project realization.
If we assume that areas for wind farms are totally available we could install about 140 MW
wind energy capacity till 2010.
Nowadays, NERC is executing the first wind farm in Sindianah after the required
measurements had been taken and evaluated, the project is financed by the Spanish
government, and with total capacity of 6 MW, the announcement for the invitation for tenders
or bids will be at the end of February 2007.
4) Biomass Energy:
Agriculture is the primary sector having the highest percentage of contribution (33%) to GDP
in Syria during 1998. The popular crops raised include wheat and barley, cotton, olives,
sugar beet, tobacco and fruit.
Approximately 49% of the Syrian populations live in rural areas and a considerable number
of these people continue to use biomass in the form of animal and agricultural wastes for
their energy needs such as lighting, heating, hot water production and cooking. The quantity
of biomass used in the domestic sector has decreased over the last twenty years with the
spread of oil and gas stoves and electrification. In 1996, wood consumption in Syria was
estimated to be 500 thousand toe 11 .
Other combustion of biomass for energy includes heat generated from burning olive leaves
which is used for heating greenhouses and poultry farms, or drying tobacco
In addition to direct combustion of biomass there is the following use of biomass in Syria 12 :
10 Assessment carried out by the Meteorology Department and Risø National labs in Denmark.
11 National consultant responses
12 ibid
547