Azerbaijan swiftly moving towards green energy transition

Muscat: Although it has fossil energy enough to use for the next hundreds of years Azerbaijan is swiftly moving towards green energy transition.

The country has made remarkable changes to cut fossil fuels dependence and initiated the transition to renewable energy and participate in the global effort to combat climate change.

The main elements of Azerbaijan’s plan to diversify its energy system and establish itself as a pioneer in green energy include initiatives in wind, hydro, solar, and green hydrogen.

Azerbaijan is committed to developing its renewable energy potential, which is an important part of the country’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2050. The country intends to increase renewable power capacity to 30 percent by 2030 and diversify its existing energy system to become a leader in green energy.

Although Azerbaijan is widely known to be an oil and gas producer, it is undertaking a renewables transition that would see the country move from a fossil fuel exporter to an electricity exporter.

With COP29 fast approaching a media visit to the host-country Azerbaijan was arranged from 18 to 22 July with a four-day visit to the country’s in energy sites around Baku and the Global Media Forum in Shusha.

The field visit to the sites showcased the current state of play in the Azerbaijan’s energy transition.

Garadagh Solar PV Plant

The Garadagh Solar PV Plant, built and operated by UAE’s Masdar and is a leading regional renewable project where the tour participants visited the project’s control room and site, and met with representatives of Masdar.

In January 2020, Masdar signed an implementation agreement to develop a utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) project in the Republic of Azerbaijan. The 230-megawatt (MW) Garadagh Solar PV Plant is the country’s first foreign investment-based independent utility scale solar project structured as a public-private partnership.

The project generates half a billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to meet the needs of more than 110,000 homes, and will reduce emissions by 200,000 tonnes a year. The solar power plant has also created new jobs for the local community.

Azerbaijan is targeting to increase its installed power capacity to 30 percent from renewable sources by 2030, as the country looks to diversify its economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The project occupies 550 hectares and currently boasts 570,000 bifacial photovoltaic panels, which capture the direct light of the sun and the reflection of sunlight from the ground.”

Murad Sadikhov, the Garadagh Solar Power Plant’s country manager, told the participants that the facility has thus far achieved 24-gigawatt capacity and we have set a very ambitious goal to reach 100 GW by 2032,” he said.

State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR)

SOCAR (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan) is undergoing transformation to become an important regional green energy provider. Tour participants visited the company’s headquarters and heard from SOCAR representatives.

SOCAR’ mission is to contribute to sustainable development and energy security locally, regionally and internationally by enhancing our rich experience in oil and gas operations with modern technology and know-how. The national oil company (NOC) aims to become a leading energy company by developing our operations through energy transition, innovation and digitisation.

The NOC of Azerbaijan, headquartered in Baku and established in 1992 through the merger of the two previous Azeri NOCs Azerneft and Azerneftkimiya. The company greatly increased in size following the expansion of production in the Caspian Sea in the 1990s, and today operates a substantial amount of refining capacity for a country of Azerbaijan’s size. SOCAR has increased its exports of crude and refined products throughout Eastern Europe, and is eyeing an expansion into Türkiye in particular. SOCAR also operates a trading house, located in Geneva.

SOCAR is committed to the development, transportation and marketing of oil and gas. Its dedication to eco-friendly technology research and development and to innovation enables the company to meet growing energy demand worldwide. SOCAR considers continuous improvements in efficiency and innovation as a strategic objective in order to achieve high-quality production processes, meet stakeholder commitments, increase environmental protection, and for sustainable development. SOCAR is an integrated energy company operating in 20 countries and employing more than 66,000 people.

Waste to Energy Plant in Balakhani

Baku’s municipal Waste to Energy Plant has been built according to the highest environmental standards in the part of the capital earmarked for urban regeneration. Balakhani Waste-to-Energy Plant is a 37MW biopower project. It is located in Absheron, Azerbaijan and has been developed in a single phase. Post completion of construction, the project got commissioned in December 2012.

The project generates 270GWh electricity and supplies enough clean energy to power 50,000 households, offsetting 500,000t of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) a year. The process of combustion has been adopted in this project to release the stored energy from the feed. Refuse, which is a kind of municipal solid waste, is used as a feedstock to power the project.

The project’s scale and impact are remarkable. Over 4.8 million work-hours culminated in a state-of-the-art facility capable of transforming over 500,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste into 230 GWh of electricity annually. This not only addressed the pressing waste management issue but also provided a clean energy source, powering over 50,000 Baku households.

Baku Stadium

Baku Stadium is the venue of the 29th Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP 29) and will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11 to 22, 2024. Baku Stadium is more than just a venue for sports and entertainment; it is a symbol of Azerbaijan’s ambition and its ability to host international events.

It plays a crucial role in promoting sports, inclusivity, culture, and tourism in the region. Officially opened on March 18, 2015, it stands as one of the largest and most modern stadiums in the region, showcasing Azerbaijan’s growing prominence in international mega events.

The stadium features a contemporary design with an elliptical shape, symbolising eternity. Its exterior is covered with a membrane that can be illuminated in various

House Museum of Nobel Brothers in Baku Villa Petrolea

The Villa Petrolea is the historic site of the Nobel Brothers home in Baku and was the place where they amassed their vast wealth and kick-started the global oil business. The tour covered both the history of the Nobel family and the trajectory of Azerbaijan’s oil and gas sector.

This building, called Villa Petrolea, is the only museum of the Nobel brothers outside of Sweden. Construction of the building began in 1882 and was completed in 1884, the same year the Nobel family first moved to Baku. Their magnificent mansion was built in the Byzantine style and designed by a Swedish architect named Fyodor Lidval. It was also the first building in Baku to have a telephone line and ventilation system. The lower floors were reserved for the Nobels’ office, while the upper floors housed a club, lounge rooms and a library.

The whole interior is richly decorated: paintings and books for the library were brought from St. Petersburg, and expensive carpets woven by Azerbaijani and Iranian carpet weavers were laid in the rooms.

The building was owned by the Nobel brothers until 1920. Before a house museum was opened in the building, it functioned as a hospital and later as an orphanage. Today, the museum exhibits various household items used by the Nobel family, as well as displays reflecting that period.

In addition to the house’s own belongings, items brought here from the Nobels’ houses in St. Petersburg and Sweden can also be found. Admission is free to the museum, which is open daily from 10am to 6pm.

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