BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 2. The Trans-Caspian Green Energy Corridor opens up vast opportunities for the development of the Middle Corridor as a green bridge, Azerbaijan's Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov said, the Ministry of Energy told Trend.
He made the remark at the opening ceremony of the event dedicated to the theme "Accelerating Renewable Energy in Central Asia," organized by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) within the framework of the Kazakhstan Energy Week, as well as at the Ministerial Roundtable of the "Accelerated Partnership for Renewable Energy in Central Asia" (APRECA).
The minister pointed out that the APRECA initiative, designed to enhance robust interconnectivity in the green energy sector across Central Asia—an area abundant in renewable energy assets and essential materials—was initially unveiled in Azerbaijan during COP29 last year, and the 'Central Asia-Azerbaijan Green Energy Corridor' stands as a pivotal project advancing this strategic objective.
Shahbazov noted that Azerbaijan is pulling out all the stops in the renewable energy arena, aiming to boost the share of these sources in its energy mix to around 40 percent by 2030. The country is also looking to forge regional partnerships and roll out strategically significant projects.
"The development of cooperation in the field of renewable energy holds an important place in the policy of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, which turns Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and the Caspian regions into a single geopolitical space and strengthens strategic partnership and alliance relations between our countries. The creation of the geostrategic 'Trans-Caspian Green Energy Corridor,' which will connect the electricity systems of our countries for the first time in history, is fully consistent with the main priorities of this policy and opens up broad opportunities for the development of the Middle Corridor as a green bridge connecting Europe with Asia and China through the Caspian Sea," the minister added.
The event noted that the preparation of the feasibility study for the project will begin shortly with the support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Information was also provided on the projects of the "Caspian-Black Sea-Europe," "Azerbaijan-Türkiye-Europe," and "Azerbaijan-Georgia-Türkiye-Bulgaria" green energy corridors on various routes. As a result of the integration of the "Central Asia-Azerbaijan Green Energy Corridor" with these projects, prospects such as directing the region's large renewable energy potential to the Turkish and European markets, connecting intercontinental production and consumption centers, and managing energy variability were brought to attention.
The event also highlighted that these interconnectors, which have a fiber-optic component, together with the "Trans-Caspian Green Energy Corridor," will not only strengthen energy and environmental security but also digital and transport connections, further increasing the geostrategic importance of our countries along the Middle Corridor.
The Ministerial Round Table discussed the issues of modernizing networks for the rapid development of renewable energy, establishing reliable energy storage systems, expanding investment opportunities, and ensuring supply chains, as well as creating interregional interconnectors.
The initiatives and strategic frameworks executed by Azerbaijan in this domain were highlighted, and synergies for collaboration via APRECA were assessed.
The Accelerated Partnership for Renewable Energy in Central Asia (APRECA) represents a strategic collaborative initiative established by IRENA in conjunction with Azerbaijan's Ministry of Energy, aimed at expediting the deployment of renewable energy technologies across the region. Initiated during COP29, APRECA is designed to enhance inter-regional synergies for the exchange of renewable energy, promote sustainable industrial growth, and optimize socioeconomic advantages by accelerating capital influx and utilizing the rich renewable assets and advantageous positioning of Central Asian nations.
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