(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 1. The liberated territories of Azerbaijan possess a hydropower potential of 500 MW, Director of the State Agency for Renewable Energy Sources Javid Abdullayev told Trend in an interview .

Abdullayev articulated the green energy potential inherent in the liberated territories and the initiatives currently operational within this framework.

"Our liberated territories, as well as the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, have been declared green energy zones. The concept and action plan for Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur are already on the table, approved, and we can now talk about their implementation. In general, within the COP29 presidency, Azerbaijan has put forward an initiative regarding 'green zones,' and many countries around the world have supported this initiative. We are considered a leading country in this initiative. The key indicator of a green energy zone is that every kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity consumed in those areas comes from green energy sources.

The liberated territories have enough potential to achieve this. The goal is to utilize about 500 megawatts of hydropower potential in these regions. There are sufficient mountain rivers there, which increases the hydropower capacity. Additionally, if we include the electricity generated from the Azerbaijani portions of the Khudafarin and Giz Galasi hydropower plants, we can see that the hydropower potential is significant and that concrete steps are being taken toward its full utilization," Abdullayev noted.

According to him, Azerbaijan's solar energy potential is primarily concentrated in Jabrayil and Zangilan, while wind energy potential is centered in the Kalbajar-Lachin zone.

"The amount of renewable energy that can be obtained from there is assessed as quite substantial. What is needed is an appropriate transmission network so that the electricity produced after building the plants can be transmitted. The energy potential in these areas far exceeds the local demand. The energy generated there must be integrated into Azerbaijan's national grid. Since other stations already exist in the national grid, they will most likely be redirected toward export," he added.

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