Qatar-based international energy and construction group UCC Holding is leading a consortium of international companies to develop a 1 GW solar power plant in Syria.
Syria is targeting close to $7 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) into its energy sector with this 1 GW solar power plant and 4 combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plants worth around 4 GW capacity. All of these projects will be built by the UCC-led consortium.
UCC Holding is participating in this consortium through its subsidiary UCC Concessions Investment. It identifies other consortium members as Power International USA, a strategic energy investor based in the United States; Kalyon ES Enerji Yatırımları A.Ş., a Turkish renewable energy investor and developer; and Cengiz Enerji San. ve Tic. A.Ş., a Turkish company specializing in EPC services.
“As Türkiye’s largest investor in renewable energy, we are proud to contribute to the development and improvement of the infrastructure of our neighboring country, Syria, through this project,” said Kalyon Holding Chairman Cemal Kalyoncu. Kalyon Group operates 2 GW ingot, wafer, cell and module manufacturing plants in Turkey along with a 1.35 GW solar power plant, touted as the largest solar energy facility in Turkey and Europe.
Planned to be located in Wedian Alrabee of Syria, the 1 GW solar power plant will be implemented under build-own-operate (BOO) and build-operate-transfer (BOT) model under power purchase agreement (PPA). Final agreements and financial close is targeted in less than 2 years for this project, post which construction will begin on site.
The consortium entered a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Syrian government led by President Ahmed Al-Sharaa. Syrian Minister of Energy Mohammed Al Bashir sees these deals as a crucial step in the country’s infrastructure recovery plan as these follow the US lifting sanctions against the country that had been in place since 1979. Its civil war had extensively damaged the country’s electricity infrastructure.
According to a March 2025 World Bank report, the country needs an investment of $11 billion in reconstruction and recovery needs, including $147 million in the energy sector. Its grid connected electricity infrastructure comprises 2.3 GW capacity generation 14,000 GWh annually. This is way less than 24,000 GWh of electricity demand in the country in 2021.
Standalone solar PV systems combined with battery storage have been helpful substitutes as their combined capacity reached 1.4 GW by 2024-end, but it was limited to those who could afford the upfront costs.
With the UCC-consortium roped in to build the new CCGT and solar projects, Syria expects to achieve grid stability, energy security and economic development. On completion, these facilities are expected to supply more than 50% of the country’s electricity needs, end power shortages and create thousands of jobs.
