DEVELOPMENT OF PRİORİTİES AND PROSPECTS OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES IN AZERBAIJAN
Authors: Saleh Afandiyev Saleh Afandiyev , Mustafa Hamidov Mustafa Hamidov , İsmailov Rauf İsmailov Rauf 
Published: January 2022

The Republic of Azerbaijan is among the countries with a fairly high potential for renewable energy sources (RES). According to preliminary estimates, the total potential of the country's economically viable and technically usable BEMs is 26,940 MW, including 3,000 MW for wind energy, 23,040 MW for solar energy, 380 MW for bioenergy and 520 MW for mountain rivers[1]. At present, the country is using this potential to some extent. Over the past seven years, the production of energy from BEMs in Azerbaijan has increased many times. According to the Ministry of Energy, wind and solar power plants generated 408 million kWh of electricity in Azerbaijan in 2013-2019. Thus, in 2013, these stations produced only 1.6 million kWh of electricity. In 2019 this figure was 149 million. kWh, which is an increase of 93 times in the last 7 years.
At present, Azerbaijan's total power generation capacity is 7,516 MW, and the capacity of renewable energy power plants, including large hydropower plants, is 1,278 MW, which is 17% of the total capacity, including 1,135 MW of hydropower capacity (22 HPP, 12 small hydroelectric power plants), wind power capacity 66 MW (5 plants, 1 hybrid), bioenergy capacity 38 MW (2 plants, 1 hybrid), solar power capacity 40 MW (9 plants, 1 hybrid). One hybrid power plant (Gobustan) is equipped with wind - 2.7 MW, solar - 3 MW and bioenergy - 1 MW. There are 2 solar power plants with a total capacity of 27 MW in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. The installed capacity of renewable energy sources, excluding large hydropower plants, in 2020 was 168.3 MW, which is 2.2% of the total electricity generation capacity.
In 2020, the country's electricity production amounted to 25.8 billion kWh. During this period, electricity production was 24.3 billion kWh at thermal power plants and 1,069.5 million kWh at hydro power plants and 343.55 mln. kWh at other sources (WPP, SPP and Waste-to-Power). During the year, 96.1 mln. kWh of power generated at WPPs, 46.9 million kWh in solar power plants, 200.6 million kWh at the Solid Waste Incineration Plant. Electricity generated by RES accounted for about 6% of total production. In 2014, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the State Agency and the Ministry of Energy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as in 2015 between the State Administration of Energy of the People's Republic of China.
The main goal is to increase the country's renewable energy investment capacity to 30% by 2030 [3]. Within the framework of pilot projects on RES (wind and solar), the project "Strengthening the network to support renewable energy projects in Azerbaijan" was implemented with the involvement of an international consulting company in connection with the connection of power plants to the power grid and the integration of BEMs into the power grid. According to a report prepared by VPC, in order to achieve the 30% target, new renewable power plants with an installed capacity of 1,500 MW must be installed, which will increase the total capacity to 440 MW in 2020-2022 and 460 MW in 2023-2025. MW, 600 MW in 2026-2030, it was considered expedient to integrate into the network in 3 periods. At the same time, along with public investment, measures are being taken to launch new production facilities at the expense of private and foreign investment..
On January 9, 2021, the Ministry of Energy of Azerbaijan and ACWA Power of Saudi Arabia and Masdar of the United Arab Emirates signed executive agreements on the implementation of pilot projects on renewable energy. According to the agreements, pilot projects will be implemented in Azerbaijan with ACWA Power for the construction of 240 MW wind farms, and with Masdar for the construction of 200 MW solar power plants. In total, about 1.4 billion kWh/year of electricity is forecasted to be produced by wind and solar energy projects.
These companies will invest about $ 400 million in pilot projects in the field of renewable energy in Azerbaijan. The projects will take about 2 years to implement and will be implemented in stages. The commissioning of these production facilities will save 300 million cubic meters of gas per year, which is equal to 10% of gas consumption in Azerbaijan. The development of alternative energy sources will also increase the country's export potential due to the saved gas.
Azerbaijan cooperates with the following international organizations on the application of BEMs: Azerbaijan State Agency for Alternative Renewable Energy Sources, European Economic Commission of the UN, UNDP, European Union, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, German KFW Bank, France's International Development Agency, US Development Agency, Economic Cooperation Organization, Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Korea International Cooperation Agency, European Interstate Oil and Gas Transport Program, etc. as well as Germany, Turkey, France, Iran, Lithuania, UAE, Sweden and others.
Keyswords: renewable energy sources (RES), wind power plant (WPP), solar power plant (SPP), bioenergy station, hybrid station, integration.