BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 18. A flexible electricity system becomes key for speedy development of renewables in Azerbaijan, Gianluca Sambucini, Secretary of the Group of Experts on Renewable Energy (GERE), United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), told Trend November 18.
“It is up to the country to undertake the necessary steps to speed up the development of renewables. Without the intention of being comprehensive in few lines, the country may decide to work for an improved and prioritized set of legal, regulatory, technical, and financial recommendations which could jumpstart investments in renewable energy and improve project bankability, streamlining procedures and cost reduction in project development. Considering the negative impact of recent global crises, a continued implementation of energy sector reforms is needed. The development of a sustainable and competitive energy market with a sound regulatory framework and institutions will strengthen the economy’s resilience to tackle future energy crises. A flexible electricity system becomes key for speedy development of renewables in Azerbaijan,” he said.
Sambucini noted that in order to increase the country’s chances to increase the uptake of renewable energy substantially and, subsequently to enhance the cooperation with Europe, the country would have to develop a flexible electricity system.
“This would increase the country’s ability to absorb more variable renewable energy, and dynamically manage supply and demand. In addition, there is the need to improve the demand side with smart metering technology, enabling domestic and industrial consumers to respond to real-time price signals. Overall, it is also important to strengthen embedded energy storage, including grid-connected batteries and aggregated battery capacity from EV networks. The transition towards a decarbonized energy system may be complemented by the production and use of green hydrogen for tailored applications such as industrial processes, heating networks, aviation and heavy transport vehicles. Further feasibility studies are needed to determine the potential role and the full range of solutions for hydrogen development, production and use.”
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