Azerbaijan emerges as hydrogen pioneer in South Caucasus, Central Asia, MAIRE VP says

Azerbaijan has taken a leading role in the advancement and implementation of hydrogen technologies within the South Caucasus and Central Asia, positioning itself as a regional pioneer in clean energy transition efforts.

Niccolò Heilpern, Vice President for Central Asia, Caspian, and Türkiye at MAIRE, an Italian multinational engineering group specialising in sustainable technologies, made this remark during the "Green Energy Week 2025: Azerbaijan and Central Asia" forum held in Baku, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

“For us, hydrogen diplomacy operates on a slightly different level than political diplomacy. It is more about uniting industry stakeholders, consumers, and governmental bodies — such as the Azerbaijani Renewable Energy Zone — to generate lasting value,” Heilpern explained.

“That value must stay within the country — benefiting both the state and its citizens — while simultaneously fostering prosperity for the company. Of course, we are obliged to deliver returns to our shareholders, but we also believe in generating economic wealth in the countries where we operate. This is why hydrogen diplomacy, for us, serves as a collaborative platform for all interested parties, enabling knowledge exchange and the development of long-term projects. In Azerbaijan, we already have solid partnerships in various other sectors as well.”

Heilpern emphasized that Azerbaijan and the Central Asian nations possess the natural resources and technical capacity necessary to significantly reduce emissions and promote decarbonization across the region.

“This is not solely about hydrogen — it’s about decarbonization in its entirety,” he noted. “Partnerships, investment, coordination, and the establishment of a shared platform are essential components that generate value across the entire hydrogen value chain.”

In this context, Heilpern highlighted Azerbaijan’s exceptional progress, noting that it is the only country in the region to have developed a “Hydrogen White Paper”, which was published earlier this year and aligns with the country’s long-term strategic vision, Azerbaijan 2030.

“This demonstrates that Azerbaijan is clearly ahead in terms of hydrogen development,” he said. “Moreover, the cooperation agreement signed at COP29 between Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan — aimed at creating a ‘green corridor’ to Europe — further illustrates the region’s strategic foresight. The leaders of this region are true visionaries.”

By Vafa Guliyeva