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Syria's solar boom is redefining Middle East's energy model

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Re: Syria's solar boom is redefining Middle East's energy model

#21
post #18

See, Iran? All you had to do was westernize your economy, hand your infrastructure to global capital, and open your markets Do that, and just like Syria, you'll become "partners"

They may also want to replace the Supreme leader with a CIA, Al-Qaeeda, ISIS and Nusra-Front veteran to get taken off the State-Sponsor-of-Terror list.

Or intentionally repatriate colonial administrators who oversaw torture of misbehaving natives and place them in cushy government positions back in the metropole.

Or repeatedly elect ex-Irgun and Lehi terrorist leaders into the highest positions of government.

Or just Winston Churchill the hell out of it and be proud of your past crimes.

etc etc

Re: Syria's solar boom is redefining Middle East's energy model

#22
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Aren't all these panels coming from China anyway? Iran could do this and keep its iron grip, no?

> Aren't all these panels coming from China anyway Turkiye not China in this case. Turkiye has a large PV fabrication industry as well [0][1][2][3] and it's Turkish companies that are leading reconstruction with Qatari, Saudi, and Emirati capital [4]. The Turkish company selected for most of these projects (Kalyon Group) is also in the PV fabrication business [3] and Erdogan aligned. [0] - https://cw-enerji.com/en/cw…

I did not know, cool info!

Re: Syria's solar boom is redefining Middle East's energy model

#23
post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Aren't all these panels coming from China anyway Turkiye not China in this case. Turkiye has a large PV fabrication industry as well [0][1][2][3] and it's Turkish companies that are leading reconstruction with Qatari, Saudi, and Emirati capital [4]. The Turkish company selected for most of these projects (Kalyon Group) is also in the PV fabrication business [3] and Erdogan aligned. [0] - https://cw-enerji.com/en/cw…

I did not know, cool info!

Yep. The name of the game right now in MENA is grabbing a chunk of Syria's reconstruction and development business [0] because it's a $200B bonanza [1] that can also now be connected with the IMEC bonanza [2], with Qatari, Saudi, and Emirati funds all competing against each other and leveraging EPCs and vendors that they have stakes or partnerships with across MENA, Europe, the US, and Asia.

[0] - https://www.arabnews.com/node/2649484/middle-east

[1] - https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/07/07/...

[2] - https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-901922

Re: Syria's solar boom is redefining Middle East's energy model

#24
post #15

See, Iran? All you had to do was westernize your economy, hand your infrastructure to global capital, and open your markets Do that, and just like Syria, you'll become "partners"

I don't think that's a reasonable description of Syria, which is more of a failed state. But yes, generally westernizing works out better for all concerned.

Well, it works out better for the West...

Re: Syria's solar boom is redefining Middle East's energy model

#25
The title would be better if it mentioned Pakistan, cleptocracy, broken institutions,and war lords and how PV appears to be the pragmatic response. But my own experience, going off grid in Nova Scotia 15 years ago,is that at first people would ask how much it cost, and then often start a bitter diatribe against the power company, but now people are going ahead getting pannels and living as they see fit, the same institutions here now too busy and remote to enforce the regulations to (SAFTEY! SAFTEY!), disuade that. Solar PV is inreadably fault tollerant for basic DC current off grid battery charging, and people are jimmy jamming any and all old used batteries for storage.The sense of agency derived from having stuff power up from home built systems the first time is a powerfull motivator to keep going.

Re: Syria's solar boom is redefining Middle East's energy model

#26
this is going to be a very interesting study for modularized, distributed power grid in a war affected environment.

Its one of the reasons I think Its better than Nuclear power. Power stations make fantastic high value targets in war, and a quick easy way to cripple an enemy and permanently hamper their ability to operate into the future.

A society with solar (and maybe batteries) make for a target thats hard to cripple, and easy to repair and recover.

I feel like in war and natural disasters this as a seriously undervalued aspect

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