Azerbaijan, Baku, April 23 / Trend, E. Ismailov /
The State Agency for the development of renewable and alternative energy sources in Azerbaijan plans to create hybrid power plants across the country, the head of the state agency Akim Badalov said at a press conference on Tuesday.
"Three wind turbines, with a total capacity of 2.7 megawatts, solar panels with capacity of 1.8 megawatts, and one megawatt power plant running on biogas were built at the Gobustan landfill," Badalov said.
According to him, most enterprises in Gobustan currently get their power through the hybrid power plant at the Gobustan site. A system was created together with Azerenergy that allows for the routing of power harnessed from the landfill onto the grid.
Badalov did not rule out the possibility of creating hybrid power plants in other regions of the country in the future. Capacities of the power stations will be 15-20 MW in the initial phase, followed by adjusting it to 45-50 MW.
Power capacities of the Gobustan landfill's hybrid electric station will be increased from the current 5.5 MW to eight MW planned by 2015. "This will provide electricity to Gobustan city, and later, to the entire Gobustan region," Badalov said.
The Head of the State Agency also informed the journalists about the preparation of the strategy for development of alternative energy, submitted to the Presidential Administration. Studies have been conducted and proposals made on tariff systems and personnel policy during preparation for the strategy of development of alternative energy in Azerbaijan.
According to Badalov, the creation of 1,000 megawatts of generating capacity from alternative and renewable energy sources will allow the country to export an additional one billion cubic meters of gas.