BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 20. Currently, four small hydropower plants with a total capacity of 13 MW are under construction on the Hakari and Tartar rivers in Kalbajar and Lachin through private investment, while five more are planned to be commissioned in 2026, said Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov in his article titled "Azerbaijan Becomes a Regional Energy Hub", Trend reports.
According to the minister, preparations are also underway for a tender to launch construction of the 100 MW Khudafarin and 40 MW Giz Galasi hydropower plants on the Araz River.
"As a result, the total generation capacity in Karabakh and East Zangazur - from hydropower, solar, wind, and rooftop systems - is expected to reach 1.6 GW. This will enable electricity exports amounting to twice the region’s domestic demand through the Jabrayil energy hub and unlock new opportunities for the area," he noted.
The minister emphasized that hydropower plants are a key source of clean energy for the region.
"Last year, 40 percent of the 573 million kWh of electricity generated met local demand, while 60 percent was supplied to the national grid. Under the plan to raise total hydropower capacity to 500 MW, 38 plants with a combined capacity of 307 MW have already been commissioned. This supports the annual generation of more than 800 million kWh of green energy, saving over 200 million cubic meters of natural gas and cutting greenhouse gas emissions by more than 400,000 tons," Minister Shahbazov wrote.