BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 2. The Toganali small hydropower plant, with a total capacity of 4.1 megawatts, generated 27.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity from the date it was commissioned through August this year.
The Ministry of Energy said this in a statement.
The Toganali small hydropower plant, located on the Kurekchay River in Azerbaijan’s Goygol district, was commissioned two years ago, on Sept. 2, 2024.
“The operation of hydropower plants not only contributes to the development of ‘green energy,’ but also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the environment,” the statement said.
Azerbaijan is implementing large-scale projects to increase electricity generation and diversify its energy system. In particular, the development of renewable energy sources is one of the key priorities of the country’s energy strategy. Large investment projects to build solar and wind power plants are currently being implemented in cooperation with BP, Masdar, ACWA Power, China Gezhouba Group Overseas Investment, SOCAR Green and other partners. As a result of these projects, thousands of megawatts of new generation capacity are expected to be added to Azerbaijan’s energy balance in the coming years, reducing domestic demand for natural gas and allowing more gas to be exported.
According to Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov, these projects are expected to increase the share of renewable energy sources in Azerbaijan’s energy balance to around 43% by 2035.
The minister said Azerbaijan is implementing strategic projects aimed at establishing a new energy and investment platform between Central Asia and neighboring regions. According to him, one of the key initiatives is the Central Asia-Azerbaijan Green Energy Corridor project.
“The creation of a Trans-Caspian energy corridor that will connect the electricity systems of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan is part of the strategic vision of our countries. This project also creates broad opportunities for the development of the Middle Corridor, which will serve as a green energy bridge between Europe, Asia and China via the Caspian Sea,” Shahbazov emphasized.
According to the minister, the Green Corridor Alliance joint venture, based in Baku, is already operating and coordinating feasibility studies financed by the Asian Development Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
At the same time, intensive work is continuing on the Caspian-Black Sea-Europe Green Energy Corridor, the Azerbaijan-Türkiye-Europe and Azerbaijan-Georgia-Türkiye-Bulgaria energy interconnectors.
Shahbazov said that “green energy corridors are shaping the geoeconomic map of the future,” adding that these initiatives will stimulate not only energy exports but also the development of digital connectivity, fiber-optic infrastructure and regional economic cooperation.
