Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 20 /Trend/
By the end of 2011, Azerenergy JSC will complete reconstruction of high-voltage transmission lines from Mingachevir to Azerbaijan's border with Georgia, said the head of JSC Etibar Pirverdiyev. Work in this direction is conducted as part of establishing a power bridge between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.
According to him, since May 2012 it will be technically possible to export electricity from Azerbaijan to Georgia and Turkey.
The Georgian energy minister said earlier that the Georgian side has already started construction of high-voltage transmission line. Construction to border with Azerbaijan will be completed by the end of 2011, and to border with Turkey in the first half of 2012
Pirverdiyev said currently the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (NAR) of Azerbaijan, which is now under blockade as a result of Armenian occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory, already exports electricity to Turkey and Iran. Earlier NAR provided its energy needs through imports.
The head of the JSC said this year NAR has already exported to Turkey 120 million kilowatt hours of electricity, and to Iran - 50 million kilowatt hours.
Last year, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey signed a memorandum of understanding on the project Power Bridge. A joint project is carried out in three countries. It is funded by the Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID and the Association of Energy jointly carry out financial and technical assistance.
The Working Group will review the work of networks of high voltage in all three countries and carry out identification of investment in terms of regional perspectives that will help improve network capacity and the exchange and sale of electricity. This optimizes overall system security.