Azerbaijan, US to partner in renewable energy - report

Apr 23, 2014 - Azerbaijan will collaborate with the US in the field of alternative energy as it gears to lift its renewables target to 20% by 2020 from 2% currently, local newspaper AzerNews said Tuesday.

The two countries have discussed potential areas of cooperation during a visit to Baku by Julia Nesheiwat, Deputy Assistant Secretary at the US Department of State for Implementation in the Bureau of Energy Resources. The partnership will aim to promote Azerbaijan as a country with abundant renewable energy potential, Nesheiwat said, as quoted by the media.

The Caucasus country's renewable energy target is seen to bring AZN 7 billion (USD 8.9bn/EUR 6.5bn) of investments, according to the report.

Earlier in April, AzerNews said that Azerbaijan had started building a 2.8-MW solar park in Pirallahi district, to be brought online this year. The facility is being constructed in line with Baku’s socio-economic development programme for 2014-2016. Azerbaijan aims to source 40% of its total power from renewables by 2020.

Besides solar, small hydropower and wind energy, the country also has potential for geothermal project development.

(AZN 1.0 = USD 1.276/EUR 0.922)

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