Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey Energy Bridge to start power interchange before 2016
By Jamila Babayeva
Power transmission within the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey Energy Bridge can start in 2014-2015.
"The power interchange within this energy bridge will start following the completion of commercial talks and settling all the legal issues," Deputy Energy Minister Natig Abbasov told Trend Agency.
He further said Georgia will act as a transit country, and will also export the electricity.
"Azerbaijan, in turn, will be able to repay Turkey for the delivery of electricity to Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, and then will be able to enter the European market," Abbasov added.
He said such a scheme of repaying energy debt to Turkey will allow full load of Azerbaijan's generating capacities, which will further improve the efficiency of electricity production in the country.
Back in early 2013, Azerenergy JSC which is engaged in production and distribution of electricity in Azerbaijan said a number of electric power facilities were reconstructed in the country as part of the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey Power Bridge Project.
In particular, work on the full reconstruction of the Mukhranis-Veli 500-kV overhead line to a length of 150 km, has been completed. Installation of the third 400-megawatt autotransformer at the 500-kV Absheron substation and reconstruction of a 300-kilovolt open distribution facility have also been completed.
Current capacity of Azerbaijan's power system is 6,450 megawatts.