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Nazrin Abdul

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The first seminar dedicated to discussing the Feasibility Study (FS) for the initial development phase of the Central Asia–Azerbaijan Green Energy Corridor was held in Baku, AzerNEWS reports, citing Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Energy.

The event brought together senior government officials, transmission system operators, and regulatory authorities from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, as well as representatives of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and other stakeholders.

Azerbaijan’s Deputy Energy Minister Orkhan Zeynalov described the project as a highly перспектив initiative, noting that the corridor will connect the Caspian and Black Sea regions and enable the transmission of clean renewable energy from Central Asia to European markets. He added that, alongside the officially participating countries, other regional partners have also expressed strong interest in joining the initiative.

Kazakhstan’s Deputy Energy Minister Sanjar Zharkeshov highlighted his country’s substantial energy potential, stating that Kazakhstan aims to increase its total installed generation capacity to 26 GW by 2030, with 30–35 percent coming from renewable sources. He emphasized that Kazakhstan intends to use the corridor to export clean energy to Europe.

Feruz Kurbonov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of National Electric Networks of Uzbekistan, also expressed strong support for the project, describing it as a promising initiative. He noted that Uzbekistan is investing heavily in domestic energy infrastructure and aims to secure additional power generation capacity by 2030 to integrate into the regional grid and export electricity to Europe.

Sunniya Durani Jamal, ADB’s Country Director for Azerbaijan, stated that the project will contribute to strengthening regional connectivity. During the seminar, Italy-based engineering company CESI S.p.A. delivered the initial presentation of the feasibility study. Preliminary findings were described as positive, and participants were briefed on the analytical framework for Phase I and the next steps.

The meeting concluded with agreement on key technical assumptions, data requirements, and further actions needed to finalize the Phase I feasibility report and prepare for Phase II.

The feasibility study for the corridor is being developed in partnership with ADB and AIIB and is supported by a Memorandum of Understanding signed in April 2025.