Official: EBRD, Azerbaijan develop strategic energy transition roadmap

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Energy are collaborating on a strategic roadmap aimed at guiding the country’s energy transition, improving efficiency, and ensuring long-term grid stability, according to a senior EBRD official.

The initiative is being implemented under a technical cooperation programme designed to support Azerbaijan’s shift toward cleaner energy sources while maintaining system reliability and balancing future electricity supply and demand. 

“Alongside financing the new capacity, we have been working with the Ministry of Energy through technical cooperation on a strategic roadmap to guide this transition, reduce emissions and improve energy efficiency, while aiming to ensure that the grid is prepared to balance future supply and demand,” Sule Topcu Kilic, Director, Head of Energy Eurasia at the EBRD said in an interview with Report.

Kilic highlighted the progress Azerbaijan and the wider region have made in expanding renewable energy capacity in recent years, noting the bank’s role in supporting large-scale projects.

“In the past five years, the EBRD has been the only IFI involved in all utility-scale renewables projects in the country [Azerbaijan - ed.]. In this period, we've financed over 1.2 GW of utility-scale wind and solar power,” she added.

She stressed that the next phase of the transition should focus not only on expanding renewable capacity but also on ensuring energy systems remain resilient and cost-effective.

She emphasised that what matters now is not simply to scale up this transition, but to do so in a way that ensures the energy system remains reliable, competitive and affordable.

By Sabina Mammadli