Azerbaijani president inaugurates Absheron battery energy center, pioneering in CIS PHOTO

On March 25, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, attended the inauguration of the “Absheron” Battery Energy Storage Center of “AzərEnerji” Open Joint Stock Company (OJSC).

Baba Rzayev, Chairman of the Board of “AzərEnerji” OJSC, briefed the Head of State on the “Absheron” Battery Energy Storage Center, Caliber.Az reports, citing state media.

It should be noted that Azerbaijan is entering a new stage of development in the energy sector. Following the instructions of President Ilham Aliyev, “AzərEnerji” OJSC has established, entirely with domestic funding, large-scale energy storage centers at two main substations – the 500 kV “Absheron” and the 220 kV “Aghdash” substations – with a total capacity of 250 MW and energy storage of 500 MWh. The creation of such large-scale centers is not only a first for Azerbaijan but also unprecedented across the entire CIS region.

Within the scope of the project, 50 battery accumulators and 13 inverter containers have been installed at the “Absheron” Battery Energy Storage Center. Studies conducted by international consulting companies (TETRA Tech from the USA and EPRA from Tüekiye) have shown that the establishment of such battery systems is necessary to safely integrate approximately 1,850 MW of renewable energy sources into Azerbaijan’s energy system.

The Battery Energy Storage Center stands out for its flexibility. It can be fully charged or discharged within two hours. Energy, including that generated during sunny hours, is stored here and automatically supplied to the grid during peak demand periods. In short, these systems collect and store energy and release it for use when needed.

The deployment of such a center brings numerous advantages to the energy grid. For example, the SCADA system allows real-time monitoring of the energy system, stabilizes the network (including frequency and voltage), automatically mitigates sudden energy shortages, reduces the impact of accidents, and increases overall system reliability. Additionally, peak-hour electricity demand can be met more easily, interruptions in solar and wind energy are minimised, full system restoration is possible, and load variations during sunset hours can be managed more smoothly.

In short, the establishment of the Battery Energy Storage Center makes Azerbaijan’s energy system more modern, flexible, and resilient. Particularly in a period of growing solar and wind energy, such storage systems are considered a core component of the future energy model.

A dedicated centre has been created at the “Absheron” Battery Energy Storage Center to manage these systems.

A modern administration building has been constructed on the site, along with extensive landscaping and greening works.

The Head of State was also briefed on the integration of renewable energy sources into the energy system and the digital transformation of the energy grid.

It was reported that, in the near future, large-scale renewable energy sources will be integrated into the energy system, and by 2028, more than 2,100 MW of green energy will be available on the grid.

Considering all this, the “AZURE” project has been implemented to ensure the sustainable and safe integration of 2 GW of renewable energy sources under construction in Azerbaijan into the energy system, to increase the share of green energy in the electricity supply of Baku and the Alat Free Economic Zone, and to fully link the 500/330 kV “Navahi Green Energy” node with the national energy system, making it one of the main junction substations. The main phase of this work has now been completed.

Under the project, transmission lines of 500 kV from the “Absheron” substation and 330 kV from the “Banka” and “Bilasuvar” Solar Power Plants have been constructed to the “Navahi” substation, located 65 km and 181 km away, respectively. In the future, 500 kV transmission lines from Mingachevir (235 km) and 330 kV lines from Gobu, Alat, and Gobustan (total 103 km) will also be built to the “Navahi” substation.

Over the past seven years, a 4,700 km fibre-optic cable infrastructure has been established, and a central SCADA system covering more than 550 energy facilities has been deployed.

Online diagnostic technologies (AGC, WAMS/WACS) and AI-based fault prediction and diagnostic systems are being implemented in the energy system. A high-precision forecasting system has been developed for solar and wind power plants.

Within the internal structure of “AzərEnerji” OJSC, a Digital Control Department has been established to fully automate the management of the energy system.

Electricity consumption is projected to increase by approximately 17% by 2032, and by that time, 8 GW of renewable energy capacity will be installed.

The export of green energy to European markets through the Black Sea cable, regional energy corridors, and other projects is a key objective. The Black Sea cable will have a transmission capacity of 1,300 MW of green energy.

The Head of State pressed the button marking the inauguration of the “Absheron” Battery Energy Storage Center.