Azerbaijan plans to increase renewable energy capacity by 6.5 GW by 2030 - Aliyev
BAKU. April 7 (Interfax) - Azerbaijan expects to create 6.5 GW of additional energy capacity by 2030 by constructing new facilities based on renewable energy sources, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said.
"Contracts already signed with our investors for solar and wind power plants will provide us with 6 GW of solar and wind energy by 2030. I would note that this will allow for substantial savings of natural gas currently used for domestic consumption and redirect it for export," Aliyev said on Friday during the 11th ministerial meeting as part of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council and the third ministerial meeting of the Green Energy Advisory Council. His comments were published on the presidential website.
Azerbaijan is also expanding its hydropower potential in the Eastern Zangezur and Karabakh regions using domestic investment, Aliyev said. "We have already installed hydroelectric power plants with a total capacity of 270 MW. More than 30 small hydro plants have already been commissioned, and with the construction of another 30 small HPPs over the next five years, their combined capacity will increase to 500 MW," he said.
In this way, the total new energy potential will reach 6.5 GW by 2030, he said.
"Today, Azerbaijan's installed energy system capacity is just over 8 GW. Therefore, over the next five years, we will significantly increase the share of energy from renewable sources, and the country's total energy potential will almost double," he said.
Three solar energy project documents were signed as part of the ministerial meetings in Baku on Friday, the Energy Ministry said.
In particular, the ministry signed an investment agreement with Enerso Jabrayil LLC for the 50 MW Ufug solar power plant, and an investment agreement with Clean Energy Jabrayil for the 50 MW Shams solar project. An implementation agreement was also signed with Nobel Energy Limited for the assessment, development and execution of a 30 MW solar power project in Nakhchivan. All companies involved are Azerbaijani.
"As a result of the implementation of these projects, which are of key importance for the development of green energy zones, it is expected that 268 million kWh of electricity will be produced annually, which will save 59 million cubic meters of gas per year and reduce carbon emissions by 128 million tonnes," the ministry said.
In addition, the Azerbaijani Energy Ministry and the Slovenian Environment, Climate and Energy Ministry signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the energy sector.
"The document supports the development of energy ties between Azerbaijan and Slovenia in the fields of natural gas and renewable energy," the ministry said.
