Offshore Wind Roadmap for Azerbaijan
Today, Azerbaijan has an electricity system dominated by thermal generation, fueled by natural
gas extracted from local reserves Fortunately, the country also possesses strong renewable energy
resources including a world-class offshore wind potential located next to major demand centers
Exploitation of this OSW potential offers an opportunity for Azerbaijan on several fronts:
■Decarbonization Azerbaijan’s electricity system will need to evolve over the long-term to a
decarbonized energy system covering electricity, transport, industry, and heating Such a system
will need to be founded on large-scale electricity from renewables such as OSW and, decreasingly
over time, natural gas Hydrogen may also play a role as an energy vector and storage for some
aspects of transport and industrial heat
â– Export potential If developed at scale, offshore wind offers an opportunity for Azerbaijan to
increase its exports of both electricity and natural gas (as more gas is made available for export
due to reduced national consumption of gas for domestic electricity production) It may also offer
a long-term opportunity for hydrogen export, assuming Azerbaijan can generate green hydrogen
at costs that are competitive in a global market
â– Industrial transition Offshore wind development is an opportunity for Azerbaijan to transition a
significant part of its existing oil and gas workforce over to clean energy This transition would not
only involve direct construction of the wind farms themselves but also development of associated
infrastructure (e g , ports and vessels) and manufacturing (e g , towers and foundations)
Diversifying this workforce will help ensure that skilled, long-term jobs are retained
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