Energy inSyria is mostly based onoil andgas.[1] Some energy infrastructure was damaged by theSyrian civil war. There is high reliance onfossil fuels for energy in Syria,[2] andelectricity demand is projected to increase by 2030, especially for industry activity such asautomation.[3] However, conflict in Syria has caused electricity generation to decrease by nearly 40% in recent years due to plant destruction and fuel shortages.[4] Electricity access in daily life for Syrians has also been altered due to conflict. Electricity to residents of Syria is largely provided by privatediesel generators, which is costly and limited in hours of use.[5] Conflict has increased household electricity expenditures while also decreasinghousehold income.[5] Some households have since turned tosolar energy as a supplementary source of energy, though high costs limit widespread adoption.[5]
In 2021, only oil accounted for 68.2% of Syria's total energy supply. Natural gas accounted for 30.9% and Water energy(hydro) accounted for 0.7%. From 2000 to 2021, 22 Metric tons of C02 has been emitted, which contributes to 0.07% of total energy emissions and a 41% decrease in CO2 emissions. Electricity consumption per capita has decreased by 43% between this period, with a 4.5% share of power generation on renewables in 2021 alone.[1]
| Energy in Syria[6] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capita | Prim. energy | Production | Export | Electricity | CO2-emission | |
| Million | TWh | TWh | TWh | TWh | Mt | |
| 2004 | 18.58 | 214 | 343 | 129 | 24.5 | 47.8 |
| 2007 | 19.89 | 228 | 283 | 52 | 29.5 | 53.7 |
| 2008 | 21.23 | 229 | 273 | 43 | 31.3 | 54.4 |
| 2009 | 21.09 | 262 | 274 | 33 | 31.3 | 59.8 |
| 2010 | 20.45 | 253 | 322 | 51 | 38.96 | 57.76 |
| 2012R | 22.40 | 175 | 157 | 24.2 | 26.2 | 40.1 |
| 2013 | 22.85 | 150 | 88 | 68.3 | 21.8 | 33.5 |
| Change 2004-10 | 10.1% | 17.8% | -6.3% | -60.5% | 59.2% | 20.9% |
| Mtoe = 11.63 TWh. Prim. energy includes energy losses 2012R = CO2 calculation criteria changed, numbers updated | ||||||
While the supply, production, and emission of coal remains insignificant, Natural gas has decreased by 42% in terms of production within 2000–2021.[1]
In 2010 oil accounted for about a quarter of Syria's income, estimated as $3.2bn for 2010, and almost all oil exports were to the EU. Production was 400,000 barrels per day (64,000 m3/d) in 2009 and exports about 150,000 barrels per day (24,000 m3/d), mainlyGermany,Italy andFrance. According toBBC oil reserves were 2.5bn barrels in 2010.[13] During the civil war before the fall of Assad the country depended on oil imports from Iran.[14] As of end-2024 some of the country's largest oilfields are in territory controlled by theSyrian Democratic Forces.[14] 2024 oil production is estimated at 30 thousand barrels a day.[15]
Natural gas production is estimated to have fallen from 8.7 billion cubic metres (bcm) in 2011 to 3 bcm in 2023.[14] TheSyrian Petroleum Company (SPC) is a state-owned oil company established in 1974.
Syria's petroleum industry has been subject to a sharp decline. In September 2014, ISIS was producing more oil than the government at 80,000 bbl/d (13,000 m3/d) compared to the government's 17,000 bbl/d (2,700 m3/d) with the Syrian Oil Ministry stating that by the end of 2014, oil production had plunged further to 9,329 bbl/d (1,483.2 m3/d); ISIS has since captured a further oil field, leading to a projected oil production of 6,829 bbl/d (1,085.7 m3/d).[16] In the third year of the Syrian civil war, the deputy economy minister Salman Hayan stated that Syria's two main oil refineries were operating at less than 10% capacity.[17]
Historically, the country produced heavy-grade oil from fields located in the northeast since the late 1960s. In the early 1980s, light-grade, low-sulphur oil was discovered nearDeir ez-Zor in eastern Syria. Syria's rate of oil production has decreased dramatically from a peak close to 600,000 barrels per day (95,000 m3/d) (bpd) in 1995 down to less than 182,500 bbl/d (29,020 m3/d) in 2012.[18] Since 2012 the production has decreased even more, reaching 32,000 barrels per day (5,100 m3/d) (bpd) in 2014. Official figures quantity the production in 2015 at 27,000 barrels per day (4,300 m3/d), but those figures have to be taken with precaution because it is difficult to estimate the oil that is currently produced in the rebel held areas.
Prior to the uprising, more than 90% of Syrian oil exports were to EU countries, with the remainder going to Turkey.[19] Oil and gas revenues constituted in 2012 around 20% of total GDP and 25% of total government revenue.[19]
