Azerenerji Starts Building Zangezur Power Transmission Line for Azerbaijan-Turkey-Europe Energy Corridor
Azerenerji has started building the Zangezur high-voltage power transmission line to connect the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, an exclave of Azerbaijan, to the country’s main power grid, as well as to establish the Azerbaijan-Turkey-Europe international energy corridor, the company said in a statement.
The company is building a double-circuit 330 kV power line with a capacity of 1,000 MW stretching 74 km in mainland Azerbaijan from Jabrayil to Agbend in the Zangilan region on the border with Armenia and, in parallel, 105 km in the Nakhchivan Republic from the city of Nakhchivan to Ordubad on the border with Armenia.
The project’s next stage involves building an additional 44-km power line along the Zangezur Corridor transport route, which will eventually connect to the power lines towards Agbend and Ordubad. A new 330 kV substation will be built in Nakhchivan with 49 hectares of land already allocated and resources are being mobilized.
“Another strategic phase is planned in continuation of the Azerbaijan-Turkey-Europe energy corridor project. Specifically, it envisions the construction of a 230 kilometer 400 kV power transmission line from Nakhchivan to Turkey and the country’s first-ever 400 kV converter substation,” Azerenerji said.
Azerenerji also said this project was strategically important for the full integration of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic into Azerbaijan’s unified energy system, eliminating the republic’s dependence on a foreign power grid for frequency regulation, and opening up opportunities to access European energy markets. It is considered to be one of the largest energy projects in Azerbaijan’s history.
It was previously reported that Azerbaijan will carry out green energy projects with a total capacity of 6.7 GW by 2030, of which 2.7 GW is intended for the national grid, and 4 GW for export via the Caspian-Black Sea-Europe green energy corridor involving construction of a submarine high-voltage direct current (HVDC) line. An additional 1 GW is slated for export along the Azerbaijan-Turkey-Europe energy corridor via Nakhchivan. Azerbaijan’s priorities also include the creation of a Trans-Caspian green energy corridor connecting Central Asia and Azerbaijan via an HVDC cable, as well as the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey-Bulgaria energy corridor.
