Azerbaijan, Baku, 23 July / Trend / The Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (NAR) of Azerbaijan started paying back $157mln debts on the electric energy to Turkey. The debt was made as a result of electric energy supply to NAR at the beginning of 1990s, Marlen Askarov, Vice-President of the Azerenergy JSC, said.
A total volume of the debt is 3.2bln KWt/h electric energy. Nakhichevan will deliver about 300-400mln KWt/h electric energy.
Azerbaijan has total production capacity 5,500MWt (annual production exceeds 21bln KWt/h electric energy), however NAR's electric energy production capacity is 160 MWt.
Returning of the debt became possible only after construction of new energy generating plants in Nakhchivan, in particular, modular electric station with 87 MWt capacity and transfer of diesel electric station with 50 MWt capacities to gas. Gas supply to Nakhichevan via Iran enabled to cut the volume of used electric energy and to pay debt back. A new border hydroelectric power station is expected to be constructed in Nakhichevan.
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