Syria’s Assad makes rare visit to country’s north

BEIRUT (AP) — President Bashar Assad made a uncommon go to to the northern province of Aleppo on Friday to inaugurate an influence station that was as soon as held by insurgents and suffered large damages through the warfare, state media reported.

Authorities-held elements of Syria endure greater than 12 hours of energy cuts a day as manufacturing is way lower than the wants of the nation. Syria’s infrastructure noticed a lot destruction through the 11-year battle.

Syria’s state information company, SANA, stated Assad visited the facility station within the jap a part of Aleppo province, including that a part of the station is now prepared and may produce as much as 200 megawatts. The report stated work was underway to additionally repair different elements of the station.

Friday’s inauguration comes on the sixth anniversary of Syrian troops retaking the station from militants, the report stated.

Syrian authorities forces now management a lot of the nation, because of allies Russia and Iran, which have helped tip the stability of energy in Assad’s favor. The civil warfare that started in 2011 has killed tons of of 1000’s of individuals, displaced half the nation’s inhabitants and left giant elements of Syria destroyed.

Syria’s Prime Minister Hussein Arnous just lately informed parliament that the nation’s wants stand at about 7,000 megawatts however stations solely produce a a bit over 2,500 megawatts.

Arnous added {that a} most important motive for electrical energy shortages is that Syria’s manufacturing of pure gasoline dropped sharply through the battle as among the nation’s largest oil and gasoline fields are held by U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish-led fighters.

In November, Syria signed a contract with a gaggle of firms from the United Arab Emirates to construct a solar energy station in a Damascus suburb. The station will produce 300 megawatts at peak charges.

A month earlier, Syria’s electrical energy ministry signed a $115 million contract with an Iranian firm to rebuild one other energy station in central Syria.