Azerbaijani president unveils Yeni Sangachal substation to enhance energy security PHOTO

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has inaugurated the 220/110/10 kV Yeni Sangachal substation operated by AzerEnerji OJSC.

Balababa Rzayev, Chairman of the Board of Directors of AzerEnerji OJSC, briefed the head of state on the facility, Caliber.Az reports via state media.

The project is intended to connect the 240 MW Shafag Solar Power Plant in the Jabrayil district to Azerbaijan’s national electricity grid and provide power to the Sangachal terminal under a cooperation agreement between AzerEnerji and bp.

The first phase of the project, which included a 330 kV substation in the Jabrayil district, was inaugurated by President Aliyev in May this year.

The newly inaugurated Yeni Sangachal substation represents the second phase of the project and will deliver renewable electricity to the Sangachal terminal, making it possible to retire the terminal’s gas-fired power plant. Electricity generated by the solar power plant in Jabrayil will be transmitted to the terminal through the national power grid.

The project will meet the terminal’s annual electricity demand of about 500 million kWh using renewable energy, saving between 120 million and 150 million cubic metres of natural gas and cutting annual carbon emissions by 260,000 to 330,000 tonnes.

The substation covers an area of 6.5 hectares and is linked to the national grid through four newly built 220 kV transmission lines with a combined length of 111 kilometres.

Electricity is supplied from three independent sources: the 785 MW Janub Power Plant, the 385 MW Gobu Power Plant, and the 500 kV Absheron substation.

In addition, five 110 kV overhead-cable transmission lines with a total length of 25 kilometres have been constructed between the substation and the Sangachal terminal. Two more lines are planned during the next phase of the project.

The substation will provide electricity to bp’s Sangachal terminal, with a capacity of 80 MW, and the Shah Deniz Compressor Station, with a capacity of 85 MW, enabling both facilities, whose combined annual electricity consumption exceeds 1 billion kWh, to receive power through Azerbaijan’s unified electricity grid.

The facility is fitted with digital control systems integrated into the SCADA network and includes a dedicated control centre designed to support the operation of the national power grid.