BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 7. Azerbaijan is currently in talks with one European company on the implementation of a new renewable energy project, Elnur Soltanov, Deputy Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan told Trend.
"We are currently in talks with about a dozen companies from dozen countries. And in time you will be hearing about new projects. For instance, one European corporation is also interested in the implementation of a project, similar to what bp is carrying out in Jabrayil, a kind of a "virtual" plant. Currently, we are intensifying dialogue with them," he said.
The deputy minister reminded that bp is currently implementing a 240 MW "Shafag" (Sunrise) solar power plant in Jabrayil / Zangilan zone.
"This is a "virtual" power plant. It is envisaged that the green energy produced in Karabakh will be delivered to Absheron, namely to Sangachal terminal, which bp operated, and thus, oil and gas processing will be decarbonized," he explained.
According to Soltanov, Azerbaijan is always open to new investments in its green energy sector.
"Our partnership with Masdar, of ACWA Power, for example, is already ongoing. But the initial list of the companies eager to participate, was much larger, at the same time, with many of them we continue the dialogue. The auction process, which is going to be implemented with the assistance from the EBRD, will also show how many companies will be involved," he said.
Meanwhile, currently, the Ministry of Energy jointly with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is developing an auction system for renewable energy projects in Azerbaijan. Right not, the sides are working on the RFQ (request for quote) and RFP (request for proposal) documents. The first auction is planned to be held in the first half of 2023.