Azerbaijan and IEC discussed cooperation on energy standardization

Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov met with Philippe Metzger, Secretary-General and CEO of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

The meeting focused on expanding cooperation within the framework of Azerbaijan’s Associate Membership in the IEC, as well as the application of international standards in the areas of energy transition, electrification, renewable energy, energy efficiency and new technologies.

The IEC Secretary-General commended Azerbaijan’s growing role in the global energy and climate agenda, particularly the initiatives put forward to address climate change during its COP29 Presidency. It was noted that the fact that Azerbaijan has become an associate member of the organization since the current year creates new cooperation opportunities. The IEC expressed its readiness to support Azerbaijan in standardization and conformity assessment in the fields of electrotechnology, electronics, clean energy and energy efficiency.

The Energy Minister provided information on the reforms being implemented in Azerbaijan as part of the country’s energy transition, the development of renewable energy sources and improvements to the legislative framework for energy efficiency. Ongoing efforts to align the regulatory and legal framework in the energy sector with international standards, as well as to advance the energy initiatives launched within COP29 was highlighted. The importance of drawing on the IEC’s technical expertise and standardization mechanisms in applying modern technologies to energy sector projects was emphasized.

It was noted that electrification is becoming one of the key trends shaping the future development of the global energy system and economy. In this regard, attention was drawn not only to the importance of developing new energy capacities, but also to the need for modern infrastructure to enable the transmission, exchange and delivery of electricity to consumers. In this context, views were exchanged on the Caspian-Black Sea-Europe Green Energy Corridor project.

The importance of expanding cooperation with the IEC through the National Electrotechnical Committee and relevant technical working groups, as well as ensuring more active participation of Azerbaijani experts in the standards development process, was also highlighted.