Azerbaijani-Turkish JV starts building 240 MW high-altitude wind power plant in East Zangezur

BAKU. Oct. 6 (Interfax) - Construction of the Kalbajar Wind Power Plant has begun in Azerbaijan's East Zangezur economic region 3,100 meters above sea level, Turkish company Baltech Group said.

"We recently laid the foundation stone for a high-altitude wind farm with capacity of up to 240 MW in Kalbajar and launched a wind measurement campaign. Two wind measurement masts are already operational and collecting valuable data. A lidar system will soon be installed for an even better assessment of the site," it said.

The project is being implemented by Kalbajar Energy LLC, a joint venture between Baltech Green LLC and Azerbaijan's Clean Energy Capital LLC.

"This project is becoming part of the country's long-term green energy strategy thanks to the Azerbaijani government's active support," the company said.

Baltech has said the wind power plant is expected to begin commercial operation in early 2028 with initial capacity of 200-240 MW. Thanks to the unique conditions created by the high altitude, the project has the potential to eventually reach up to 600 MW in total capacity.

The Energy Ministry's State Agency on Renewable Energy Sources, Clean Energy Invest and Baltech Green signed an agreement on the Kalbajar plant in November 2024.

Clean Energy Invest, a subsidiary of Azerbaijan Green Energy Company (AGEC), focuses on investment and management in renewable energy.

Azerbaijan plans to build 90 renewable energy power plants with total capacity of 1.6 GW in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur by 2030. These plants will save up to 1 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 2 million tonnes.