Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to connect power grids

BAKU. May 2 (Interfax) - Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have signed a memorandum of cooperation to connect their power grids.

The document was signed during a meeting between the energy and economy ministers of the three countries in Tashkent on May 1, Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikail Jabbarov said on social media.

Jabbarov said that following the agreement Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan will produce green energy and export it through Azerbaijan to Europe. The three countries will also connect their power grids and will effectively use renewable energy sources.

The Kazakh Energy Ministry's press service said the parties to the memorandum would explore the possibilities of connecting the power grids through a high-voltage cable that will be laid along the bottom of the Caspian Sea.

Kazakh Energy Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev said that draft technical specifications had been earlier prepared for laying a deep-water cable along the bottom of the Caspian Sea.

"Following the technical specifications, a business model will be proposed for development of international transmission corridors (financing, revenue flows and ownership) and for the sale of green energy to the countries of the European Union. To this end, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan discussed a draft memorandum of cooperation in order to unite their power grids," Satkaliyev is quoted as saying.

To date, the countries concerned have discussed and agreed on basic approaches to the project, he said.