Azerbaijan seeks to construct more hybrid power plants
By Nigar Orujova
A centralized distribution network which would supply electricity generated by a hybrid power plant in the Gobustan region of Azerbaijan, situated about 60 km southwest of the capital Baku, will be established by an alternative energy company in Azerbaijan by the end of 2014 or early 2015.
Akim Badalov, the head of state agency for alternative energy sources, said that the project is already under construction in the area to create a new smart system. He further noted that the ongoing efforts are particularly aimed to create the distribution network.
At the present time, electricity produced by the hybrid power plant is transmitted to a central distribution network operated by a company called Azerenergy.
"From the beginning of its operation, the power plant has generated and transmitted one million kilowatt hours of electricity," Badalov said on October 23.
He believes that the system is capable of sending the power received from the Gobustan polygon to the power grid of Azerenergy at the price of 4.5 qepik (around $ 0.05) per one kilowatt per hour. It is then sold to customers at the cost of 6 qepik ($0.08) per kilowatt per hour.
The capacity of the Gobustan hybrid power station, which was opened in 2011, is expected to increase from the current 5.5 megawatt to 8 megawatt by 2015, which will provide electricity to the Gobustan city, and later, to the entirety of Gobustan region.
The alternative energy company plans to have hybrid power plants in the majority of Azerbaijan by 2020, Badalov said.
"The feasibility of constructing hybrid power plants in 10 regions: Gadabay, Nakhchivan, Gakh, Neftchala and other places have already been prepared," he said.
He added that agricultural developments in different regions of the country would create all the necessary conditions for construction of such hybrid power plants.
According to Badalov, it is planned to start the construction of 10 hybrid power plants in the shortest time.
Capacity of the power stations will initially be 15-20 megawatt which is expected to spike to 45-50 megawatt.
Talking about using alternative energy in Baku, Badalov stressed that the creation of mini hybrid power plants on the roofs of multistory buildings are taken into consideration too.
Additionally, it is reported that several houses will be fully provided with electricity from alternative sources.Some 10 percent of the power produced in the country falls to the share of hydropower plants.
It is planned to aggregate the share of alternative energy sources to a total volume of 20 percent consumption in Azerbaijan by 2020, which presupposes around 7 billion manats ($8.9 billion) investments.