Azerbaijani president inaugurates two hydroelectric power plants in Lachin PHOTO

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the inauguration ceremony of the Ashagi Malibeyli and Mirik hydroelectric power plants (HPPs) in the Lachin district on May 27.

The facilities are operated by Azerenerji Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC), Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

At the event, Baba Rzayev, Chairman of AzerEnerji OJSC, presented an overview of the company’s ongoing hydro-green energy initiatives in the Karabakh and East Zangezur economic regions. He noted that 32 hydroelectric power plants are already operational, with another six nearing completion—bringing the total to 38 facilities with a combined capacity of 307 megawatts (MW). These projects are expected to save up to 200 million cubic meters of natural gas annually and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 400,000 tons.

President Aliyev was then briefed on the technical specifications of the newly commissioned Ashagi Malibeyli and Mirik HPPs. Located along a stretch of the Zabukh River—a right-bank tributary of the Hakari River—the two plants are situated within the villages of Malibeyli and Mirik in Lachin.

The Ashagi Malibeyli HPP has a capacity of 3.1 MW, while the Mirik HPP stands at 3.5 MW. Both are equipped with state-of-the-art technologies and are connected to the national grid through a centralised SCADA system via fibre-optic infrastructure. Together, the plants are expected to generate 20 million kilowatt-hours of green electricity annually. This output translates to an annual savings of 4.3 million cubic meters of natural gas and an emissions reduction of 8,000 tons of carbon dioxide.

In addition to their environmental and economic benefits, the new plants will provide employment opportunities for residents of Lachin.

By Khagan Isayev