Tag Archives: wind

BP agrees to build wind farm in Nagorno-Karabakh

BAKU/JUNE 7 2021 (The Bulletin) — BP has signed a deal to build a 240MW wind farm in Nagorno-Karabakh, the disputed region that Azerbaijan captured from Armenia last year, Azerbaijan’s energy ministry said.

BP declined to comment when contacted by The Bulletin but Gary Jones, the BP regional head, was quoted in the Azerbaijani energy ministry’s press release.

“We believe the collaborative work we are commencing on this solar opportunity can lead to a new area of partnership through which BP can make an important contribution to Azerbaijan’s energy transition,” he said.

For Azerbaijan signing a deal with BP to develop an energy project in Nagorno-Karabakh is something of a PR coup. It has rushed to invest in the region since a peace deal was agreed with Armenia in November, ending a six-week war that killed 6,000 people, but, although Turkish companies have signed deals, BP is the first Western company to invest.

And Azerbaijani energy minister Parviz Shahbazov appeared to recognise the importance of the deal.

“I do hope that our active cooperation with BP on the 240MW solar energy project will pave the way for foreign investments in Karabakh,” he was quoted as saying.

BP is a major investor in Azerbaijan. It runs the country’s biggest oil and gas projects including the Shah Deniz project and pipeline infrastructure which pumps gas to Europe.

BP’s deal to invest in Nagorno-Karabakh also comes after a visit to Baku last month by Britain’s export minister, Graham Stuart.

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— This story was published in issue 487 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on June 9 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Abu Dhabi’s Masdar wins tender to build wind farm in Uzbekistan

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JUNE 2 2021 (The Bulletin) — Masdar, the renewable energy company owned by Abu Dhabi’s state investment fund Mubadala, won an Uzbek government tender to build a 457MW solar power plant in southern Uzbekistan. The plant is part of a wider programme to reorientate Uzbekistan’s power production programme towards green energy.

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— This story was published in issue 487 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on June 9 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

GE signs deals for Kazakh turbines

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SEPT. 27 (The Conway Bulletin) – The US’ GE signed a deal to sell 12 wind turbines to ENI’s 48MW wind farm in Badamsha in north-east Kazakhstan for an undisclosed amount. Kazakhstan has commissioned several wind farms across the country as it looks to hit green energy targets. The Badamsha project is expected to be the first operational wind farm in Kazakhstan when it starts producing power by the end of 2019.
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>>This story was published in issue 387 of The Conway Bulletin on Oct. 1 2018

Chinese company to build wind farm in Kazakhstan

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DEC. 27 (The Conway Bulletin) — China’s Goldwind Science and Technology has won an order to build a wind power plant in Kazakhstan, it said. The 5MW plant will be built near Almaty and shows both Kazakhstan’s drive to develop green energy and also the increasing influence of China on the region’s commerce. The contract was given to Goldwind Science by China’s CITIC, the main contractor for the wind power plant. CITIC is a major constructor in Kazakhstan.

— This story was first published on Jan. 5 2018 in issue 356 of The Conway Bulletin

Uzbekistan joins IRENA

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TASHKENT, AUG. 24 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Uzbekistan joined the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), an intergovernmental organisation set up to help member countries strengthen their sources of green power. IRENA has 152 members. Uzbekistan has previously shied away from joining international organisations. Under the presidency of Shavkat Mirziyoyev, though, it has become open to international cooperation.

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(News report from Issue No. 341, published on Aug. 27 2017)

With help from the EBRD, Georgia opens its first large wind farm

TBILISI, OCT. 6 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — The Georgian government unveiled the 20.7MW Kartli Wind Farm, Georgia’s first large-scale wind farm which is considered a key milestone towards both boosting its power production and increasing its green energy footprint.

Kartli Wind Power Plant, a joint venture owned by the Georgian Energy Development Fund (GEDF) and Oil and Gas Company of Georgia, manages the project, which cost $34m to build. GEDF is part-owned by the EBRD, which loaned $22m for the project.

At the inauguration ceremony near the town of Gori in central Georgia, PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili lauded the project and highlighted its importance.

“This project is an indication that Georgia is becoming a truly developed country with leading technologies,” Mr Kvirikashvili said.

“This wind farm will enable us to partly meet our electricity demand during winter time.”

The government has pushed for the development of wind projects across the country to increase domestic production and limit the growth in imports during the winter months.

In the summer, Georgia exports its electricity surplus from its hydropower plants, mainly to Russia and Turkey.

The Kartli wind farm aims to reduce the winter gap and lower carbon emissions.

The EBRD also praised the project and said that it was ready to lend more funds to develop the country’s renewable energies.

“The EBRD stands ready to support Georgia in promoting renewable energy sources and this project confirms our determination to continue making significant investments in renewable energy,” Aida Sitdikova, EBRD’s regional director for Energy, said in a statement.

The Kartli Wind Farm is the biggest wind power project in the South Caucasus although Azerbaijan said it was considering erecting a wind farm in the Caspian Sea.

Power production has become a major headache for governments in the region as they try to feed electricity to growing populations and also replace aging Soviet infrastructure.

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(News report from Issue No. 299, published on Oct. 7 2016)

Turkey Calik to build plant in Georgia

MARCH 30 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) – Turkey’s Calik Holding said it wants to build a combined-cycle thermal, wind and hydropower station and a gas storage facility in Georgia. Calik’s chairman Ahmet Calik and Georgia’s PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili met in Tbilisi and discussed Calik’s plans in Georgia. Calik has already built a 220 MW combined-cycle power plant in Gardabani, 40km south of Tbilisi.

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(News report from Issue No. 274, published on April 1 2016)

Georgia announces first wind farm tender

JAN. 5 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) – Georgia announced a tender to build its first wind farm in conjunction with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The project is estimated to cost $35m, with the EBRD giving a $25m loan. The wind farm will consist of 10 turbines and produce two megawatts of power. States in Central Asia and the South Caucasus are investing in wind power to help meet power demand.

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(News report from Issue No. 262, published on Jan. 8 2016)

Azerbaijan plans wind farm

OCT. 30 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) — Azerbaijan’s Agency for Renewable Energy said it is developing a 200 megawatt wind farm in the Caspian Sea, to help diversify the country’s energy supply. The project will cost around 450-500m manat (around $450m). Azerbaijan, which has only minor renewable energy production, wants to reach a capacity of 2 gigawatt by the end of the decade.

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(News report from Issue No. 255, published on Nov. 6 2015)

Georgia plans to build windfarm

MARCH 31 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Georgia plans to build a small windfarm between Tbilisi and Gori to the northwest, media reported. This is the first wind farm in the country and is part-funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
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(News report from Issue No. 225, published on April 12015)