SCC Cement power station
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SCC Cement power station is a mothballed power station in Kortek, Aleppo, Syria.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| SCC Cement power station | Kortek, Aleppo, Syria | 36.542217, 38.586943 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2: 36.542217, 38.586943
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | mothballed | coal: unknown | 30 | subcritical | 2010 |
| Unit 2 | mothballed | coal: unknown | 30 | subcritical | 2010 |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Syrian Cement Co [100%] | Holcim AG |
| Unit 2 | Syrian Cement Co [100%] | Holcim AG |
Project-level captive use details
- Captive industry use (heat or power): power
- Captive industry: Cement & Building
Background
The Syrian Cement Company (SCC), a joint stock company formed between MAS Group of Syria and Lafarge Group of France, built a cement plant and captive 60 MW coal-fired power plant at Aleppo, Ein Arab. It awarded the engineering to SGTEC/HYPEC in China, and hired the ECGroup as a third party consultant. The coal plant was put into operation in October 2010.[1][2]
Syrian civil war
In December 2017, French prosecutors charged LafargeHolcim’s former CEO with terrorism financing.[3] In addition, an internal investigation found evidence that Lafarge’s Syrian unit had paid third parties to work out arrangements with armed groups, including “sanctioned parties”, in order to maintain operations at a cement factory in 2013 and 2014.[4]
Lafarge, which merged in 2015 with Swiss group Holcim, has acknowledged that its Syrian subsidiary paid middlemen to negotiate with armed groups to allow the movement of staff and goods inside the war zone. But it denied responsibility for the money winding up in the hands of terrorist groups and has fought to have a related case dropped.[5]
In May 2022, the company was formally charged with crimes against humanity associated with illicit payments made between 2011 and 2014. Lafarge will appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.[6] It appears that Lafarge abandoned the factory in 2014 and ISIS swooped in and sold the remaining cement, valued at $3.21 million.[7][8] Another source from 2018 suggests that the factory was dormant since 2015 and was turned into a base for US, British and French special forces.[9] Another source from 2022 also states that the plant houses around 60 US soldiers with armoured vehicles and heavy weapons.[10] On this basis, the power station's units are considered mothballed. It is not clear whether the equipment of the power station is still there.
In October 2022, Lafarge was fined $777.8m for payments to ISIS and another regional terrorist group to keep its plant operating in Syria. Between 2012 to 2014, over $10 million in payments were made to ISIS while the terror group kidnapped and killed people. According to court documents, company executives purchased raw materials needed to manufacture cement from ISIS-controlled suppliers. Monthly “donations” were also paid to armed groups so that employees, customers, and suppliers could pass through checkpoints controlled by the armed groups on roads around the Syrian cement plant. Lafarge also agreed to make payments to ISIS based on the volume of cement it sold to its customers, which Lafarge likened to paying “taxes.”[11] Lafarge pleaded guilty and is paying the fine.[12]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ "The Syrian Cement Company - SCC (Lafarge Cement) Power Plant," Engineering & Consulting Group (ECGroup), accessed June 2021
- ↑ “Environmental and Social Impact Assessment of Construction and Operation of Syria Cement Plant and Captive Power Plant, and Associated Quarrying Activities Syria,” Earth Link and Advanced Resources Development S.A.R.L. (ELARD), May 2009
- ↑ "The Factory: A Glimpse into Syria’s War Economy," The Century Foundation, February 21, 2018
- ↑ "LafargeHolcim admits to ‘unacceptable’ activity in Syria," Sherpa, Financial Times, March 2, 2017
- ↑ "French firm Lafarge loses bid to dismiss 'crimes against humanity' case in Syria," France24, September 7, 2021
- ↑ "Court confirms Lafarge charge of complicity in crimes against humanity," Global Cement, May 19, 2022
- ↑ "Lafarge Pleads Guilty to Financing ISIS, Agrees to Pay $778M Fine". https://www.occrp.org/. October 20, 2022.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ↑ "HOLCIM AFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR LAFARGE SA RESOLUTION WITH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE REGARDING LEGACY LAFARGE OPERATIONS IN SYRIA". holcim.com. October 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "The Factory: A Glimpse into Syria's War Economy". https://tcf.org/. February 2018.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ↑ "Assad regime forces take position near French cement giant Lafarge's factory in northern Syria". https://www.aa.com.tr/. September 2022.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ↑ "2022 in Review: Key Financial Crime Moments". https://complyadvantage.com/. December 2022.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ↑ "French company fined $777 million and pleads guilty to paying ISIS as terror group killed Westerners". cnbc.com. October 18, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
