Hybrid power plants may be set up across Azerbaijan
By Nigar Orujova
Azerbaijan is rich in energy resources, including considerable alternative and renewable sources, such as wind, solar and geothermal energy, European Union Delegation head Roland Kobia has said at a press conference.
The news conference, held at the State Agency on Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources in Baku on Tuesday, was dedicated to the allocation of a 5.75 million euro EU tranche to Azerbaijan under the energy reform support program.
According to Kobia, Azerbaijan may use the energy of sea waves in the long term.
He said further that the EU supports Azerbaijan in the development of alternative energy. A number of relevant activities have been undertaken in the country, including a twinning program, regional programs, the United Nations Development Programme, INOGATE, and the allocation of 14 million euros for the development of alternative energy programs.
Kobia said Azerbaijan is a strategic partner for the EU and the bloc intends to support and continue its energy cooperation with the country on these matters.
Akim Badalov, who heads the state agency for alternative energy sources, said studies have been conducted and proposals made on the tariff system and personnel policy as part of formulating a strategy for the development of alternative energy in Azerbaijan. The strategy has been submitted to the government.
The agency plans to create hybrid power plants across the country, Badalov said.
The State Agency, established in 2009, plans to double the share of renewable energy sources to 20 percent in Azerbaijan by 2020.
"Three wind turbines with total capacity of 2.7 megawatts, solar panels with capacity of 1.8 megawatts, and a one megawatt power plant running on biogas have been built at the Gobustan landfill," Badalov said.
According to Badalov, most enterprises in the Gobustan region -- situated about 60 km southwest of the center of the capital Baku -- currently get their power through the hybrid power plant at the Gobustan landfill.
A system created jointly with state-owned energy company Azerenergy allows routing the power harnessed from the landfill onto the power grid.
Badalov did not rule out the possibility of creating hybrid power plants in other regions of the country in the future. Capacity of the power stations will be 15-20 megawatts initially, to be followed by boosting it to 45-50 megawatts.
Operation of hybrid plants is deemed the best option to develop alternative energy in Azerbaijan, because due to simultaneous use of solar, wind, water and biomass energy, uninterrupted electricity and thermal power production can be ensured regardless of changing weather conditions and other circumstances.
The capacity of the Gobustan landfill's hybrid power station will be increased from the current 5.5 megawatts to 8 megawatts by 2015. "This will provide electricity to the Gobustan city, and later, to the entire Gobustan region," Badalov said.
According to Badalov, the creation of 1,000 megawatts of generating capacity from alternative and renewable energy sources will allow the country to export an additional one billion cubic meters of gas.
Earlier the Industry and Energy Ministry said around 7 billion manats ($8.9 billion) is needed to bring the share of alternative and renewable energy sources in Azerbaijan's energy production to 20 percent.
According to the Ministry's Department Head Tahir Jafarov, the production of electricity from alternative and renewable energy sources in Azerbaijan could reach 2.6 billion kilowatts an hour per year by 2015.
Azerbaijan plans to increase renewable energy production and to achieve a 9.7 percent share in energy consumption by 2020 -- a significant increase from the current 2.3 percent.