The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) reported on Tuesday (24 April) that Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Energy has announced the country’s first renewable energy auction for a 100 megawatt (MW) solar power plant project in Gobustan.
The public call for applications is accessible on the ministry’s website. Interested parties can ask for the Request for Qualification Documentation from 30 April and are invited to submit their Statements of Qualification by 14 June.
“Azerbaijan’s decision to introduce renewables auctions is a big step towards a more diversified and sustainable energy sector, and we are proud to play a key role in this process. We would like to thank the Ministry of Energy, the Azerbaijan Renewable Energy Agency under the Ministry of Energy and all stakeholders who have worked towards this,” said Aida Sitdikova, Head of Energy for Eurasia, Middle East and Africa in the EBRD’s Sustainable Infrastructure Group.
In line with the country’s green agenda, the EBRD has supported the Azerbaijani authorities in developing the necessary legal and regulatory framework for introducing competitive procurement for renewables, for example, through inputs towards a new Renewable Energy Law.
Azerbaijan aims to increase the renewable energy share of its installed electricity-generation capacity to at least 30 per cent by 2030, with a focus on private investment in utility-scale renewables.