Use of renewable energy in energy supply of cities was discussed

A videoconference was held between the Ministry of Energy and German Energy Agency. At the meeting, the use of renewable energy in the energy supply of cities and Azerbaijani-German cooperation in this sphere were discussed.

Head of the Administration of the Ministry of Energy Zaur Mammadov stated that the main goal was to increase the capacity of the power plants, including large hydroelectric power plants on renewable energy sources from 17% to 30% by 2030. To this end, the application of international practice and involvement of foreign investments are preferred.  The Ministry cooperates with the European Union, UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), International Energy Agency, International Renewable Energy Agency, World Energy Council, International Energy Charter, Economic Cooperation Organization and various organizations.  The cooperation with the German Energy Agency in this field can contribute to the development of renewable energy.

At the video conference information about the possibilities of the application of renewable energy technologies in the energy systems of Azerbaijani cities was provided. It was noted that the settlement of the vast majority of the country's population in the cities necessitated sustainable and high-quality energy supply of the cities. The Ministry of Energy is currently planning to implement a project on the development of small-scale renewable energy systems in Azerbaijan with the support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. First, the application of NET metering mechanism is considered for the development of small power renewable electricity sources. At present, Terms of Reference are being developed with the support of the Bank and, based on this, a consulting company will be selected. It was also noted that City Energy Planning based on the use of renewable energy sources requires significant integrated scenarios, in which the support of German experts would be useful. At the same time, the importance of the roadmap on the development of small-scale renewable energy for Baku and other major cities was underlined and it was considered practical to study the German practice in the field of network integration of small-scale renewable energy devices and systems.

Representatives from the Embassy of Germany, Ministries of Energy, Ecology and Natural Resources, State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture, Energy Regulatory Agency, State Agency on Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources, Azerenergy, Azerishig, Azeristiliktachizat also participated in the video conference.