Thus, the commissioning of the 100 MW Qobustan Solar Power Plant in the Garadagh district is another stage in this process. The plant, which was inaugurated on September 16 in the presence of President Ilham Aliyev, will generate approximately 200 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. One of the main economic benefits of the project for Azerbaijan is a certain reduction in the use of natural gas for electricity generation.
No fuel is required to generate electricity at a solar power plant. Therefore, the electricity produced by Qobustan can potentially replace part of the electricity generated using gas at thermal power plants. According to official calculations, the operation of the plant will save approximately 45 million cubic meters of natural gas annually.
This figure may not appear large for Azerbaijan’s energy system. However, although this concerns only one project, the overall volume of savings could increase as renewable energy capacity expands. There is another aspect to the issue.
Azerbaijan is a producer and exporter of natural gas. Replacing part of the gas required for electricity generation with solar energy creates an opportunity to use that gas for other purposes. This can provide additional flexibility in supplying gas to industry and, under suitable conditions, expand export opportunities.
The Qobustan plant’s annual output of 200 million kilowatt-hours also demonstrates the scale of the project. Although the plant has an installed capacity of 100 MW, solar energy is not a continuous source, meaning it cannot operate at maximum capacity for 24 hours a day throughout the year. Therefore, the plant’s actual annual output is lower than its nominal capacity.
This is one of the main characteristics of solar power plants. Another result of the project is a reduction in carbon emissions into the atmosphere. According to official information, the Qobustan Solar Power Plant will prevent approximately 97,000 tons of carbon emissions annually.
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