BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 26. Azerbaijan's climate conditions provide substantial opportunities to expand solar-generated electricity, Trend reports via the CAREC Energy Outlook 2030, prepared by the experts of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
According to the ADB, given the significant technical potential of solar energy in Azerbaijan, and with sufficient investment, it could partially replace gas-fired electricity in the future, making more gas available for export.
"On average, Azerbaijan has 2,400 - 3,200 hours of sunshine per year. The country’s global horizontal irradiation is 3.4 - 4.8 kWh/m2 , which is favorable relative to other countries, meaning it is relatively attractive for investments, too. Azerbaijan’s technical solar power potential is more than 8 GW, meaning that implementing solar PV projects will have a higher impact on decarbonization. Finally, because the country currently has low installed capacities of solar PV farms (around 40 MW), their further development will have a positive impact on technology transfer," the report said.
As the ADB pointed out, the construction of a 230 MW solar PV farm, agreed between Azerbaijani Ministry of Energy and the UAE's Masdar, which is expected to be commissioned in 2023, will set a positive example to attract other potential investors.
"An implementation agreement was signed with BP on 3 June 2021 on the evaluation and implementation of a project to build a 240 MW solar power plant in the Zangilan/Jabrayil (Eastern Zangazur) region. Work is ongoing in this area," the report added.