BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 2. Azerbaijan is
investing more than $500 million in modernizing its power grid to
accommodate the 2 gigawatts of capacity that will be added to the
system by 2027, the country's Deputy Energy Minister Elnur Soltanov
said at a panel discussion held within the framework of the Baku
Energy Week, Trend
reports.
According to him, the small size of the country's energy network
and limited connections with the energy systems of other countries
create certain difficulties in terms of large-scale integration of
renewable energy sources.
Soltanov noted that large energy systems can more easily manage
the variability arising from renewable energy production, while in
small energy systems this process is more complicated.
The deputy minister said that the development of artificial
intelligence technologies and data centers increases the demand for
electricity.
"This creates additional opportunities for the implementation of
new energy generation capacities, including renewable energy
projects," he explained.
At the same time, Soltanov, emphasizing that data centers need a
stable and uninterrupted power supply, said that this places
additional demands on the management of the energy system.
"We are currently investing more than $500 million in the
modernization of our power grid so that we can accommodate the 2
gigawatts of capacity that will be added to the system by 2027. We
are aware of the challenges and opportunities ahead and positively
assess the arrival of artificial intelligence technologies, as well
as data centers, in Azerbaijan," he added.
