BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 2. Azerbaijan is investing more than $500 million in modernizing its power grid to accommodate the 2 gigawatts of capacity that will be added to the system by 2027, the country's Deputy Energy Minister Elnur Soltanov said at a panel discussion held within the framework of the Baku Energy Week, Trend reports.
According to him, the small size of the country's energy network and limited connections with the energy systems of other countries create certain difficulties in terms of large-scale integration of renewable energy sources.
Soltanov noted that large energy systems can more easily manage the variability arising from renewable energy production, while in small energy systems this process is more complicated.
The deputy minister said that the development of artificial intelligence technologies and data centers increases the demand for electricity.
"This creates additional opportunities for the implementation of new energy generation capacities, including renewable energy projects," he explained.
At the same time, Soltanov, emphasizing that data centers need a stable and uninterrupted power supply, said that this places additional demands on the management of the energy system.
"We are currently investing more than $500 million in the modernization of our power grid so that we can accommodate the 2 gigawatts of capacity that will be added to the system by 2027. We are aware of the challenges and opportunities ahead and positively assess the arrival of artificial intelligence technologies, as well as data centers, in Azerbaijan," he added.
