ALMATY — Azerbaijan has officially commissioned the Khizi-Absheron Wind Power Plant, the largest wind energy facility in the Caucasus region, on Jan. 8, marking a major milestone in the country’s transition toward renewable energy.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev at a Jan. 8 fornal ceremony on the Khizi-Absheron Wind Power Plant’s inauguration. Photo credit: president.az.
The 240-megawatt wind power plant was inaugurated at a formal ceremony in Baku with the participation of Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev. The project was implemented in partnership with Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power and China’s PowerChina, according to the Azerbaijani presidential press service.
The wind farm comprises 37 turbines, each with a capacity of 6.5 megawatts, installed across the Absheron and Khizi districts: 12 in Absheron and 25 in Khizi. The project also includes monitoring and measurement stations and bird protection systems. Total foreign investment in the project amounted to approximately $340 million.
The plant is expected to generate around one billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. This output will allow Azerbaijan to save an estimated 220 million cubic meters of natural gas per year and prevent more than 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions from entering the atmosphere.
Speaking at the ceremony, Aliyev emphasized that the development of renewable energy sources is a key priority in Azerbaijan’s state policy and an integral part of modernizing the national energy system.
“Exactly four years ago, in January 2022, the foundation of this station was laid in this hall. Over these years, intensive work has been carried out, and today we are celebrating this remarkable event together,” Aliyev said.
He expressed gratitude to ACWA Power, describing it as one of the world’s leading companies in renewable energy, and noted that the company will also implement Azerbaijan’s first Caspian Sea desalination project.
According to Aliyev, Azerbaijan’s total power generation capacity has nearly tripled over the past 20 years, reaching around 10 gigawatts. By 2030, the country plans to commission six gigawatts of wind and solar power capacity, increasing this figure to eight gigawatts by 2032. The wind energy potential of Azerbaijan’s Caspian Sea sector alone is estimated at 157 gigawatts.
Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Energy Nasser Al-Kahtani described the Khizi-Absheron project as a flagship example of a strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia in green energy. Chinese Ambassador to Azerbaijan Lu Mei noted that the facility is the largest wind project not only in Azerbaijan but across the Caucasus. She said it will provide electricity to more than 300,000 households.
In an interview with The Astana Times, Chief Executive Officer of ACWA Power Marco Arcelli highlighted Kazakhstan’s strong potential in renewable energy development. His comments came as the Kazakh Ministry of Energy, Samruk Kazyna, and ACWA Power signed an agreement to build a one-gigawatt wind farm in Kazakhstan’s Zhetisu Region, underscoring the growing momentum of regional cooperation in large-scale green energy projects.
