Azerbaijan, Central Asia could form major energy hub for Europe — official

Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan have the potential to emerge as major hubs for supplying affordable energy to the European market, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Energy Minister Orkhan Zeynalov said.

Zeynalov made the remarks at the 2nd Azerbaijan International Investment Forum (AIIF 2026), Caliber.Az reports per local media.

“Azerbaijan and the states of Central Asia, via the Middle Corridor, have the potential to form one of the most crucial macro-regional hubs for providing affordable and diversified energy, including meeting the growing demand from Europe and the artificial intelligence industry,” Zeynalov noted.

According to the deputy minister, the modernization of energy infrastructure envisages the launch of new generation facilities with a total capacity of up to 8 GW.

He noted that particular attention is being paid not only to the volumes of electricity transmitted but also to ensuring flexibility in energy supplies and establishing mechanisms for reciprocal power flows between regional energy markets.

“A key priority is to ensure precisely this flexibility and optionality: we are talking not merely about exporting electricity from east to west, but also about inter-market exchanges that will allow electricity to be directed at the required times, taking into account the specifics of regional regulatory frameworks,” Zeynalov emphasized.

By Vafa Guliyeva