Azerbaijan to start energy generation from agricultural waste
By Leman Mammadova
Renewables are the sources of clean and inexhaustible energy. Hydrocarbons, which are the traditional source of energy used by the world for many years, are gradually being run out and, thus, make the use of alternative and renewable energy sources urgent. By 2030, energy demand in the world will increase by 45 percent.
There are wide opportunities for the development of renewable energy sources in Azerbaijan.
The Ministry of Energy is preparing a new law on alternative and renewable energy production in Azerbaijan.
Zaur Mammadov, the head of the Office of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Energy, said that this new law has been prepared in accordance with Third Energy Package of European Union, which came into force in 2011, Report informed.
Package envisages to make the energy market fully effective and to create a single EU gas and electricity market, that will help to keep prices as low as possible and increase standards of service and security of supply.
“European countries have achieved significant developments on the basis of successful, unsuccessful and partly successful scenarios in this field. Our advantage is that we can study these experiences and apply them in the Azerbaijani model. Basically, we will attract the private sector,” he said, adding that “risks for private sector should be reduced to the minimum."
"If we achieve reduction in costs, we’ll get lower tariffs on alternative and renewable energy types,” he added.
“We got acquainted with the experience of countries like Germany, Romania, Poland, Ukraine, Greece, Spain and Italy. We are organizing trips and video conferences of experts using a number of programs and tools”, he said.
The new draft law will be prepared and submitted to the government until mid-2019, the official said.
It is also planned to generate energy from agricultural waste in Azerbaijan, Zaur Mammadov, the head of the Office of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Energy, said at a press conference in Baku, Trend reports.
"For example, about three tons of waste are generated while producing a ton of cotton. We plan to use the waste as a source of thermal energy," he said adding that there are also plans to produce ethanol from sugar beet.
Mammadov underlined that this practice is actively used in the world.
Training courses on this topic are organized for representatives of the private sector, he added.
In general, the Ministry of Energy prepared four bills covering the development of alternative energy in the country, Mammadov noted.
The Azerbaijani government is planning to increase the share of alternative energy by 30 percent by 2030 in total power generation.
This summer, the State Agency for Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources identified the construction areas where new alternative and renewable energy sources stations (designed for 420 megawatts in 2018-2020) will be built, the amount of investment and other required information.
The favorable geographic location and climatic conditions allow the widespread use of environmentally friendly alternative energy sources in Azerbaijan.
Aiming to lessen its dependency on oil, Azerbaijan implements a number of measures for further development of alternative energy sector.
The State Agency for Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources plans to implement 23 projects worth 13 million manats as part of the strategic roadmap for the development of public services in 2018-2020.
The projects cover the construction of 420 megawatt wind, water and biofuel power plants. The capacity of wind power stations will be 350 megawatts, solar power stations will be 50 megawatts, and biofuel power plants will be equal to 20 megawatts.
Currently, the State Agency for Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources negotiates with a number of foreign investors to finance projects for wind power plants in the Caspian Sea to develop renewable energy supply.
To this end, negotiations are underway with foreign companies and investors, including companies from China, the UAE, the U.S. and the EU.
For example, the Norwegian company DNV GL will help create a support system and a legal framework in Azerbaijan's alternative energy sector.
Moreover, "green" power station is expected to be created at the Baku International Sea Trade Port.
Most of Azerbaijan's potential in this sector comes from the solar energy and this potential is estimated at 5,000 megawatts.
Wind power accounts for 4,500 megawatts, biomass for 1,500 megawatts, geothermal energy for 800 megawatts, and the remaining 350 megawatts account for small hydro power plants.
The potential of renewable energy sources in Azerbaijan exceeds 25,300 megawatts, which will allow generating 62.8 billion kilowatt hours of electricity annually.
According to the State Statistics Committee of Azerbaijan, in January-October 2018, hydropower production amounted to 1,528.4 kilowatt hours, solar energy to 35.1 kilowatt hours and wind power to 42.5 kilowatt hours.