BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 8. This is the first
renewable power plant built by “ACWA Power” in Azerbaijan, but not
the last one. The company has bigger plans, and the Government of
Azerbaijan fully supports these plans, said President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev during his speech at the opening ceremony of Khizi-Absheron Wind
Power Plant in Baku, Trend reports.
Speech by President Ilham Aliyev
- Dear ladies and gentlemen,
Dear guests,
My very warm greetings to all of you. It is a significant day in
the life of our country today. We celebrate the commissioning of
the “Khizi-Absheron” Wind Power Plant. This is a very significant
event. The plant that will enhance the energy capacity of our
country is already starting to operate. I am sure that the
240-megawatt plant will contribute to the overall development of
our country.
I remember quite vividly that exactly four years ago, in January
2022, we laid the foundation of this plant in this very hall.
Extensive work has been carried out over these years, and today we
are celebrating this wonderful event together. First of all, I
would like to express my gratitude to all the people and companies
that have contributed to the construction of this plant, first and
foremost to the investor “ACWA Power” and its managers. This is the
first renewable power plant built by “ACWA Power” in Azerbaijan,
but not the last one. The company has bigger plans, and the
Government of Azerbaijan fully supports these plans. I should also
note that “ACWA Power” is one of the leading companies in the world
in this field. It is also interested in implementing new projects
in cooperation with Azerbaijani institutions. In particular, the
company will also implement the Caspian Sea desalination project,
the first for our country, as an investor.
I should also mention the activities of “Power China”, which has
participated in the construction of this station as a general
contractor. This company participates in this project as a
contractor, but it will also participate in other projects,
including as an investor. I am sure that all the plans this company
has in Azerbaijan will be implemented.
Of course, I should also acknowledge Azerbaijan’s energy
workers. Because the commissioning of new generation capacities in
our country in recent years has been both a very complex and
responsible process. In addition, the integration of large volumes
of renewable energy into our overall energy system, of course,
requires great professionalism and a lot of money. Considering that
the construction of renewable energy plants in Azerbaijan will be
very widespread in the coming years, the activities of Azerbaijani
energy workers must always be at a high level. Here we see a very
successful example of international cooperation. I should also note
that from now on, more and more foreign investors will be engaged
in the development of renewable energy. However, Azerbaijani
companies have also begun to take interest in this issue, and the
construction of several solar power plants has already begun.
In general, I can say that the upgrade, modernization, and
development of the energy system in Azerbaijan has been identified
as one of the top priorities in recent years. It is possible to say
that over the past 20 years, our energy system, namely our
generation capacities, large-scale substations, and transmission
lines, has been completely renovated.
Over the past 20 years, the generation capacities created in our
country have increased by about three times compared to the entire
previous period. Today, our generation capacity constitutes
approximately 10,000 megawatts. This, if we may say so, is a
historical record. However, given that many new renewable energy
generation capacities will be put in place in the coming years,
this figure will certainly increase and will enable us to both meet
the growing domestic demand adequately and export electricity in
larger volumes.
I should also note that when we celebrated the opening of a new
power plant in Mingachevir last year, we were once again convinced
that these two processes in Azerbaijan, namely traditional
generation capacities and renewable generation capacities, should
be carried out in parallel. Only then can we achieve the desired
result. The generation capacity of the traditional power plant
commissioned in Mingachevir last year is approximately 2,000
megawatts, and today Azerbaijan feels very comfortable in terms of
energy supply and energy security. A 230-megawatt solar power plant
was put into operation recently. Today, a 240-megawatt wind power
plant is under construction, and three solar power plants are
currently under construction in the liberated territories, in
Jabrayil district. The total capacity of these three plants is 340
megawatts.
Today, renewable energy sources are developing in various parts
of our country. The next large plants are to be opened in
Bilasuvar, Neftchala, Nakhchivan, and also in the liberated
territories. So far, they have been opened in Garadagh district,
and today in Khizi and Absheron districts. In other words, the
geographical location of Azerbaijan is such that it is possible to
produce renewable energy in any region. I am not even talking about
the potential of the Caspian Sea. According to international
estimates, the wind potential in the Azerbaijan sector of the
Caspian Sea is at the level of 157 gigawatts. In other words, this
process will gain momentum in Azerbaijan in the coming years.
Azerbaijan will become a country with a reliable and major
electricity generation capacity in the region. I have no doubt
about that. Therefore, I am inviting foreign investors to invest in
this area, as well as in other areas that require large amounts of
electricity. In particular, I invite them to invest in artificial
intelligence, the creation of data centers, and other areas that
require large amounts of energy. This also includes Azerbaijani
companies.
Our country has a wonderful investment environment. We have been
able to attract more than 300 billion dollars in foreign investment
to Azerbaijan. Today, the financial situation of our country is
very positive. I have recently spoken extensively on this issue. I
simply have to say that the reforms we have carried out in this
area and the successes we have achieved are also acknowledged by
the world’s leading rating agencies. It is no coincidence that our
credit rating today has been further improved, rising to the level
of investment grade and a positive outlook.
Our foreign debt is at a very low level, accounting for slightly
more than 6 percent of our gross domestic product. Our foreign
exchange reserves exceed foreign debt by 16–17 times, making
Azerbaijan one of the leading countries in the world in this
respect. In other words, all these and other factors give reason to
say that investment in Azerbaijan will bring benefits and profits.
Today, Azerbaijan is a very good place for investment. There is
political, economic, and social stability in our country. For five
years, our country has officially been living in peace, and
large-scale construction work is underway in Azerbaijan. Therefore,
as evidenced by today’s ceremony, we can also see the confidence of
foreign companies in us, and this confidence is fully
justified.
Regarding future plans, considering that our renewable energy
potential will significantly increase, we must create
infrastructure to store this energy. For this purpose, for the
first time in history, we are creating a Battery Energy Storage
System in Azerbaijan. The first project is 250 megawatts. It is
implemented by “Azerenerji” at its own expense. However, our
growing potential will require the number of such battery energy
storage systems to increase even more, and I invite foreign
investors to contribute to this process.
As for generation capacities, it is sufficient to note that
based on the signed contracts, wind and solar power plants with a
total capacity of 6 gigawatts will be built by 2030, and overall 8
gigawatts by 2032. If we add the potential of hydroelectric power
plants, our capacity will, of course, grow further. Over the past
five years, we have built about 40 small hydroelectric power plants
using public funds in Garabagh and East Zangezur. Today, their
total potential exceeds 300 megawatts.
A map of potential hydroelectric power stations in the liberated
territories has also been drawn up, and in that region alone, we
will build small hydroelectric power stations with a capacity of
about 500, perhaps even 600 megawatts. Almost half of it is already
in place, and the entire country, including the liberated
territories, is connected to a single grid, ensuring the sending
and receiving of energy flows in any direction.
Today, by celebrating this remarkable event, we are both
summarizing the work done and, most importantly, sharing our views
on future plans. Let me say again that the creation of renewable
energy in Azerbaijan is a large-scale project implemented by
foreign investors. To date, 100 million dollars have been invested
in these projects. I once again appreciate the activities of both
foreign and local investors for this decision and encourage them
again to invest in Azerbaijan. The state of Azerbaijan always
protects foreign investment. Many of our oil contracts have been
implemented for many years, and not a single paragraph, not a
single article, not even a single word in the adopted decisions and
contracts has been or ever will be changed. This is also a very
important factor in attracting foreign investors to our country.
Azerbaijan is a reliable state. Our word is as valuable and legal
as our signature.
When we look at the processes taking place in the energy sector
as a whole, we can see that today, perhaps, energy security is
increasingly coming to the fore. We have been operating in this
direction for many years. Our oil exports, gas exports, oil product
exports, electricity exports, petrochemical products, and
fertilizer exports create opportunities for many countries to
ensure their energy security today. Azerbaijan is asserting itself
as a very responsible and reliable partner and has earned a great
image and reputation as a reliable partner on a global scale.
Dear friends, I congratulate you once again on this wonderful
event and wish the station every success in its operation. Thank
you!
