BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 28
By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend:
Azerbaijani Karabakh has the potential to become a renewable energy haven in the region, UK's ABC Money news agency said in an 'How Azerbaijan is Transforming Karabakh into a Renewable Energy Hub' article, Trend reports.
The article said that implementation of such renewable energy projects throughout Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan’s vision to reduce the country’s dependence on electricity generated by fossil fuels.
"Today, the share of renewable sources in electricity production in Azerbaijan exceeds 8%, but the country’s Ministry of Energy intends to bring this figure to at least 30% by 2030," the report said.
Alongside the government, the article added, international corporations have expressed their interest to join Azerbaijan’s program of boosting the production of green energy.
'In fact, BP and Azerbaijani government are constructing a solar power plant in Karabakh. Indeed, the goal of dramatically increasing green energy production in Azerbaijan is achievable, given that the geographical location of Azerbaijan and its unique conditions are optimal for the development of renewable energy," the article said.
"With such projects, Karabakh has the potential to become a renewable energy haven in the region. Indeed, the territories of Karabakh have the capacity to generate more than 4000 megawatts of solar energy and up to 500 megawatts of wind energy. In addition, given that 25% of Azerbaijan’s local water resources originate in Karabakh, it is an optimal location for using local rivers in the construction efforts of hydroelectric power plants. If successful, such power plants would allow Azerbaijan to not only supplement its own energy needs but also sell its electricity surplus to its neighboring nations across the Caspian Sea," the report noted.