The Ministry of Energy announces the return of the fifth turbine in the Tishreen Dam to service

The Ministry of Energy (MOE) has announced the return of the fifth turbine at the Tishreen Dam to service after completing a wide series of mechanical and electrical maintenance works.

In a statement published on its official IDs, the ministry said the maintenance work was carried out with "national efforts" within the Euphrates Dam General Corporation, in a new confirmation of the ability of Syrian cadres to carry out complex work in the energy sector despite the "limited capabilities".

The Ministry explained that the maintenance work included the treatment of the working tire blades, the dismantling and maintenance of the three supports, in addition to comprehensive maintenance of the generator station, the rotor, and the equipment of the fifth cell, in addition to the rehabilitation of control and driving systems, cooling circuits, regulator and servometers.

The Ministry of Energy pointed out that the turbine took off "successfully" after completing technical tests and calibrating the command and control devices, as it was connected to the electrical grid, ensuring that the system is supplied with additional stable energy.

Raising the readiness of Aleppo thermal plant

In another statement, the ministry announced the completion of advanced maintenance works at the Aleppo thermal plant, including the boiler in the first group and the repair of water pumps, in addition to the maintenance of the oil circuit in the fifth group.

The statement said that these works contributed to raising the readiness of the two groups and improving the efficiency of operation, which enhances the plant's ability to regain its historical role in feeding the northern region.

The Ministry of Energy stressed that these simultaneous achievements – in hydroelectric dams and thermal plants – reflect the level of experience possessed by Syrian cadres and their ability to carry out quality and complex maintenance based on local capabilities, noting that the efforts made directly contribute to enhancing the stability of the electrical system and improving the nutrition situation in various governorates.

Euphrates Dam. The backbone of hydropower projects in Syria

The Euphrates Dam, also known as the Tabqa Dam, is the largest hydroelectric project in Syria, and one of the largest dams in the Middle East, and the dam's power plant includes 8 turbines with a maximum production capacity of 880 MW under normal conditions, making the dam for decades the first source of hydrogenated electricity in Syria.

Work on the dam began in 1968 with technical and technical support from the Soviet Union, before successfully diverting the course of the Euphrates River in 1973, and the dam and its hydroelectric plant were fully inaugurated in 1978, marking the start of the actual investment of the project.

Despite its pivotal position, the dam faces increasing operational challenges due  to its impact on drought and decreasing water volumes of the river, as well as the periodic need for complex and costly maintenance of turbines and electrical equipment, resulting in a significant reduction in generation capacity compared to its design capacity.

Aleppo Thermal Plant Supplies the Grid with 400 MW

The Aleppo Thermal Plant is one of the largest electric power generation facilities in Syria, located in the Al-Safira area in the eastern countryside of Aleppo governorate, with a  total design capacity of about 1100 MW, distributed over 5 steam generating sets with a capacity of about 213 MW each, in addition to a gas turbine dedicated to emergency and self-take-off with a capacity of 35 MW, which gives the plant high operational flexibility in emergency conditions.

According to operational updates until May 2026, the plant is currently operating only in the first and fifth groups, after undergoing extensive rehabilitation programs and complex mechanical and electrical maintenance.

The plant's stable actual output is currently around 400 megawatts—roughly 195 megawatts for group 1 and 202 megawatts for group 5—yet groups II, III and IV are still out of service and need a complete rehabilitation that could add an additional 600 megawatts to the grid if restored.