QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Co-chair of the Energy Office of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), Akram Suleiman, said on Tuesday that the Sweidiya gas plant is “100 percent destroyed” and cannot be rehabilitated.
Turkish drone strikes targeted the Sweidiya gas plant in the countryside of the city of Derik, far-northeastern Syria, several times over the past few days. The most heavy attack was yesterday, Monday [15 January, 2024].
Suleiman added that on Monday at 10:15 PM, Turkish drones targeted the Sweidiya gas plant, the only one in northeastern Syria.
He noted that the Turkish strikes directly targeted five electrical turbines, destroying them completely. In addition, seven gas turbines and power converters have also been targeted.
Suleiman explained that the facility is now out of service and completely destroyed, adding that it cannot be rehabilitated in any way. He pointed out that this plant is crucial for the region as it provides electricity to vital service facilities such as water wells, hospitals, mills, and other service institutions.
Agid Abdulmajid, the director of the Sweidiya gas plant, said that the attack has damaged the majority of the devices, in addition to hitting the spherical gas tanks. The firefighting teams were unable to control the fire until the tanks ran out of gas.
He explained that the production of gas and electricity has completely stopped, and the process of repair and reconstruction is very difficult, requiring significant resources in terms of workshops and necessary materials. They need a long time, extending for months, to carry out the repair and rehabilitation.
Abdulmajid also pointed out that the initial cost of repairing the plant is estimated at $1 billion.
