Azernews.Az

Nazrin Abdul

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SOCAR plans to implement strategic initiatives in the coming years aimed at reducing the intensity of drinking water consumption across its operations.

The announcement was made by Madina Hajiyeva, Head of the Planning Department at SOCAR’s Environmental Protection Division, during a roundtable discussion in Baku titled “Water Security in Azerbaijan: Regulation, Risks and Responsible Business Practices,” AzerNEWS reports.

Hajiyeva noted that SOCAR is engaged not only in oil and gas exploration, but also in refining and petrochemical production, sectors that require significant volumes of water resources, including potable water.

“Currently, we are conducting strategic planning to reduce the intensity of drinking water consumption through the implementation of relevant initiatives,” she said. “This process will include infrastructure development, expansion of wastewater recycling, and the introduction of closed-loop water circulation systems at water-intensive facilities.”

She added that for the past three years SOCAR has been carefully preparing its sustainability report, which is reviewed and enhanced by Ernst & Young.

“As SOCAR products are exported not only to Russia and post-Soviet countries but also to Europe, we take high-quality reporting very seriously,” Hajiyeva emphasized. “Every drop of water we use is accurately accounted for and reflected in our reports.”

According to her, the company is taking a major step this year by introducing key performance indicators (KPIs) in the water sector. While many companies typically include facilities accounting for 90% of total drinking water withdrawal in their reporting, SOCAR has decided that every division consuming more than 1% of total water usage will be incorporated into its KPI system.

This approach will cover upstream production operations, all oil and gas extraction platforms, as well as petrochemical manufacturing, reinforcing SOCAR’s commitment to transparency, efficiency, and sustainable water management.