Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 14 /Trend H.Valiyev/
Azerbaijan is considering the issue of establishing a technical committee on energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, the head of the technical regulation and standardisation department of the State Committee for Standardization, Metrology and Patent, Namig Taghiyev told journalists on Monday.
According to him, this is a very important and significant issue.
"Today significant work in this sphere is being carried out in the republic. Therefore, we are ready to present our proposals. Currently, the proposals on the issue are under consideration and a particular decision has not yet been taken," he said.
Azerbaijan is considering the possibility of increasing the amount of electricity obtained from renewable energy sources.
The Azerbaijani State Agency on Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources plans to create hybrid power plants in the country's regions.
Three wind turbines with a total capacity of 2.7 megawatts were built in the Gobustan testing ground.
Solar panels with a capacity of 1.8 megawatts and a power plant with a capacity of one megawatt operating on biogas were also built at the same site.
At present, most enterprises in Gobustan receive electric power from the Gobustan testing ground via a hybrid power plant. A system that allows directing the power received at the testing ground into the general energy system was created jointly with Azerenergy JSC.
Future plans include the development of hybrid power plants in other regions of the country. In the initial phase, the capacity of these power stations will be 15-20 megawatts, but later it can be brought up to 45-50 megawatts.
Creation of energy capacities to the volume of 1000 megawatts by means of obtaining energy from alternative and renewable energy sources will further allow the export of one billion cubic meters of gas.
Azerbaijan adopted Europe-wide commitments to increase the share of renewable energy to 20 per cent of its energy balance. The State Agency on Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources estimates the cost of the development of this sector as being at the level of five to eight billion manats per year which is the equivalent to 10 per cent of the GDP, or about 50 per cent of the expenditure side of the state budget.
