Azerbaijan Connects 100-MW Solar Plant, Boosts Renewable Energy Ambitions
Azerbaijan is expanding its green energy production, adding to its rapidly growing renewable sector. The country connected the 100-megawatt Gobustan solar plant to the grid on September 16, which will generate about 260 million kilowatt-hours a year and save 57 million cubic meters of natural gas annually.
The project was developed by Universal International Holdings Limited from China, the winner of Azerbaijan's first renewable energy project auction in 2024. The Gobustan solar plant is part of Azerbaijan's green energy strategy, which aims to meet rising domestic electricity demand, export renewable electricity, and free up natural gas for export.
The country has set a target of raising renewables to at least 30 percent of the energy mix by 2030 and reducing emissions by 40 percent by 2050. Azerbaijan's Energy Ministry has set a target of commissioning more than 2 GW of green energy capacity as part of a first development phase running through 2027.
The ministry has also outlined plans for three parallel projects to give Europe access to carbon-neutral electricity from the Caspian region. These include integrating Nakhchivan's grid with Türkiye, connecting Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye, and Bulgaria, and building the Black Sea Energy Corridor, a submarine cable linking Azerbaijan and Georgia to Romania and onward to Hungary.