Turkey Pursues New Electricity Corridor Linking Saudi Arabia Through Jordan and Syria

Turkey is pursuing a new electricity corridor linking Saudi Arabia with Turkey through Jordan and Syria, a move that could expand regional power trade and strengthen Ankara’s role in the Middle East’s energy network.

Turkey’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said that talks with Saudi Arabia on the proposed large scale transmission network were continuing. The corridor could eventually be extended to Lebanon, which faces significant electricity shortages.

The proposed project forms part of Turkey’s broader efforts to strengthen electricity interconnections and expand power trade with neighboring and regional markets. Cooperation with Syria is expected to play a key role, as Ankara and Damascus have stepped up efforts to rebuild electricity and natural gas infrastructure.

Turkey has supplied electricity to parts of northern Syria since 2017 and is now planning to increase exports through new transmission links. Work is also underway to reactivate the Birecik Aleppo transmission line, which has a capacity of around 500 MW.

Turkey is also working to supply Syria with Azerbaijani natural gas through Kilis. The gas is expected to support electricity generation at a natural gas power plant in Aleppo.

According to Ufuk Alparslan, Turkey and Caucasus regional lead at Ember, Turkey has the potential to become a transit country connecting energy producers with consumer markets. He said that the country’s renewable energy potential and rising share of clean energy generation could support its ambition to become a regional renewable energy hub.

Alparslan said that electricity interconnections could increase regional power trade, improve the use of renewable energy and support Turkey’s access to international financing for clean energy investments.He added that east west interconnections could help countries make better use of solar power by taking advantage of differences in sunrise and sunset times across regions.

Turkey’s interconnection plans could also extend beyond the Middle East, with proposed links to mainland Azerbaijan through Nakhchivan and potentially onward connections to Central Asia.