On May 9, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the inauguration of the 330 kV "Shafag" substation, owned by "AzerEnerji" OJSC, in the village of Soltanli, Jabrayil district.
Balababa Rzayev, Chairman of "AzerEnerji", briefed the President on the project. He reported that significant infrastructure projects have been implemented by the government to integrate the 240-megawatt "Shafag" Solar Power Plant (SPP) into the national power grid. Built by bp in Jabrayil, the plant is the first utility-scale solar project and the largest direct foreign investment in the liberated territories.
As part of this project, "AzerEnerji" constructed a 330 kV digital substation in Jabrayil. To connect this facility to the national grid, a 7.5-kilometer, 330 kV double-circuit high-voltage transmission line was installed to the "Jabrayil" Energy Hub. This infrastructure serves as a strategic bridge for the nationwide distribution of "green energy."
The substation is equipped with modern digital systems, open and closed switchgear, and a Digital Control Center. A micro-SCADA dispatch system has been installed at the center to provide remote monitoring and control, fully integrated into the central SCADA system.
The workforce at the substation was primarily selected from the newly resettled local population, who underwent specialized training before being hired. In line with the President’s "Great Return" strategy, priority is given to employing local residents at all energy facilities built by "AzerEnerji" in the liberated territories.
The primary objectives of integrating the "Shafag" Solar Power Plant into the power system are to strengthen public-private partnerships, reduce carbon emissions, conserve natural gas, increase the share of "green energy," and further bolster energy security.
Parallel to this project, a new 220 kV substation has been completed to supply the Sangachal Terminal with renewable energy. Consequently, the gas-fired power plant at the terminal will be decommissioned. Solar energy generated in Jabrayil will be fed into the national power grid and directed to the Sangachal Terminal in a balanced manner. By shutting down the 140 MW modular gas-fired plant at the terminal, approximately 500 million kWh of the terminal's annual demand will be met by renewables, saving over 120–150 million cubic meters of natural gas annually. This will contribute to an annual reduction of 260,000–330,000 tons of CO2 emissions for bp's operations in the Caspian region.
The President was also informed about the concurrent development of "green" and traditional energy sources.
The digital modernization of the energy system has begun yielding tangible results. This trend has been particularly evident in April and May during periods of high water flow, abundant sunshine, and wind. On certain days, 36% to 41% of the country's total electricity consumption was met by "green energy."
For instance, on April 20, out of a total production of 64.4 million kWh, 36.5% came from renewable sources. Of this, 15.9 million kWh was produced by hydroelectric plants (including those in the liberated territories), while 7.6 million kWh was generated by solar and wind plants. Due to these measures, the share of "green energy" in the power system reaches 41% during certain hours.
