BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 6. Azerbaijan can play an important role for Europe not only as an energy producer, but also as an energy link connecting Europe, the South Caucasus, Central Asia and the Caspian region, Siemens Energy Senior Vice President and Head for Europe Frederick Doye said at the German-Azerbaijani Strategic Partnership and Connectivity Conference in Baku on Tuesday, Trend’s correspondent reports from the event.
He said Siemens Energy is one of the world’s leading energy technology companies, employing around 100,000 people.
“Our technologies help generate about one-sixth of the world’s electricity. We manufacture gas turbines, connect offshore wind farms to power grids, modernize electricity grids and develop systems that transmit electricity over thousands of kilometers,” Doye said.
According to him, Siemens Energy has been working with customers and partners in Azerbaijan for many years and remains committed to supporting the country’s energy transformation.
Doye noted that Europe is currently redefining its economic, industrial and energy partnerships.
“Supply chains are changing, new trade routes are emerging, and energy security has become one of the key strategic issues of our time. Against this backdrop, the German-Azerbaijani Connectivity Conference is being held at exactly the right time,” he said.
He praised the German-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce (AHK Azerbaijan) for bringing together business representatives from the two countries.
According to Doye, AHK Azerbaijan has become one of the key platforms for German-Azerbaijani economic cooperation over the past decade. He said the chamber, which brings together around 200 member companies, serves as a bridge between businesses, investors and policymakers and makes an important contribution to strengthening dialogue between the two countries.
“This dialogue is already producing results. More than 250 German companies are currently operating in Azerbaijan, while annual bilateral trade has reached around 1.7 billion euros. Our cooperation is expanding from traditional energy trade into logistics, technology, industry and renewable energy,” he said.
The Siemens Energy regional head said connectivity is usually associated with roads, railways, ports and trade routes. However, he said energy connections could become at least as important as these factors in the coming decades.
“The ability to transmit clean, reliable and affordable energy between countries is becoming increasingly important. It is about connecting regions rich in renewable energy resources with industries and communities that need secure access to electricity, ultimately turning energy into a source of resilience, growth and prosperity,” Doye said.
He called this approach “Energy Security 2.0.”
“For decades, energy security was primarily about securing fuel supplies. Today, it is increasingly about the security of systems. This means resilient infrastructure, strong electricity grids, diversification and flexibility. Increasingly, reliable and clean access to electricity is also becoming part of energy security,” he said.
Doye said Azerbaijan could have particular importance in this new reality.
“Many still see Azerbaijan primarily as an energy producer. I believe Europe should increasingly see Azerbaijan from another perspective – as an energy link. Azerbaijan is located at the crossroads of Europe, the South Caucasus, Central Asia and the Caspian region and can connect the world’s promising renewable energy resources with European consumers and industry,” he said.
According to him, this opportunity is most clearly reflected in the green energy corridor initiatives currently taking shape.
Doye said these projects are of strategic importance for Europe’s future. The first is the Black Sea Green Energy Corridor, which connects Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary.
“The goal of this project is highly ambitious: to transmit up to 4 gigawatts of renewable electricity from the Caspian region to the European Union through new high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission infrastructure. The project has already been included in Europe’s planning processes, and feasibility studies are ongoing,” he said.
Doye noted that the second initiative expands this vision further. By connecting Azerbaijan with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, it aims to tap into Central Asia’s vast renewable energy potential and link it with European demand centers.
“Together, these projects could fundamentally reshape energy flows across Eurasia. For centuries, the Silk Road connected East and West through the movement of goods. Green energy corridors can connect East and West through the movement of clean energy,” the Siemens Energy executive said.
According to him, this opens significant opportunities for deeper cooperation between energy companies in Azerbaijan, Germany and Europe.
Doye first highlighted the importance of developing renewable energy generation. According to him, the Caspian region has significant potential for both offshore wind and large-scale solar projects, and these opportunities could contribute both to regional development and Europe’s decarbonization goals.
He said transmission infrastructure is the second key area, noting that renewable electricity creates no economic value if it cannot reach consumers.
“For this reason, building HVDC connections, substations, interconnectors and modern electricity grid infrastructure will be as important as developing renewable energy generation,” Doye said.
Doye also emphasized the important role of digitalization and system integration in the energy systems of the future.
“The energy systems of the future must be not only clean, but also resilient, flexible and smart,” he added.
He said cooperation between governments and technology providers is essential to creating long-term value.
“This is also why the European Union attaches strategic importance to these initiatives. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has supported this vision from the outset, and the European Commission has proposed allocating up to 2.3 billion euros to support its implementation,” Doye said.
According to him, the next stage of the energy transition will be determined not by how much renewable energy can be generated, but by how efficiently that energy can be connected and transmitted.
“This requires modern infrastructure, but above all, it requires partnership. No country can build these systems alone. No company can do it alone either. Europe’s energy future will not be built by countries acting separately. This future will be shaped through partnerships,” he said.
Doye noted that these partnerships should involve cooperation between governments and industry, between Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia, as well as joint efforts to turn vision into infrastructure and connectivity into competitiveness.
“Azerbaijan has the opportunity to play an important and decisive role in this process,” he said.
Doye said Siemens Energy is ready to support the development of Azerbaijan’s energy potential and the creation of green energy corridors.
“At Siemens Energy, we are very pleased about these opportunities and remain committed to deploying our technologies, experience and expertise to support Azerbaijan’s energy goals and the development of green energy corridors,” he said.
“Azerbaijan can consider Siemens Energy a reliable and long-term partner on this path,” Doye added.
