BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 18. Azerbaijan is expected to launch energy facilities to save 1.2 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas in the next three years, the country's Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov said in an article published in the "Azerbaijan" newspaper, Trend reports.
"In the coming three years, we plan to commission new power plants, which will save 1.2 bcm of gas and reduce emissions by 2.5 million tons. This will allow us to achieve 30 percent of green energy production in the overall energy balance by 2030, increasing this figure to 33 percent by 2027," the minister noted.
"The implementation of our renewable energy program has received significant momentum within the framework of the 'Year of Solidarity for a Green World' and the COP29 conference. In June of this year, we signed agreements with the Emirati Masdar company to construct three power plants with a total capacity of 1,000 MW and an investment volume of about $1 billion.
Additionally, a framework agreement was signed with ACWA Power to implement two projects: a 200 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) and a 200 MW offshore wind power plant. In collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), a project for a floating solar power plant on the Boyukshor lake, with a capacity of 100 kW and an annual output of 160,000 kWh, is being implemented," the article stated.
Shahbazov reminded that the first auction for renewable energy sources has already started in the country, and the results for the Gobustan hydroelectric power station project with a capacity of 100 MW are expected to be announced at COP29.
"Another important project is the Shafag solar power plant with a capacity of 240 MW, which will be built in Jabrayil. This facility will serve as a vivid example of the integration of traditional hydrocarbons and 'green' energy, providing electrification for the largest oil and gas terminal in the world in Sangachal.
Work is also ongoing at other sites: two solar power plants with a capacity of 100 MW are being constructed in Jabrayil by Nobel Energy, and two power stations with a capacity of 160 MW are being built in Fuzuli under the direction of China Gezhouba Group Overseas Investment," he added.