Azerbaijan may unveil energy storage concept by end of September

Azerbaijan may present a general concept for energy storage systems by the end of September, Javid Abdullayev, Director of the State Agency for Renewable Energy Sources under the Energy Ministry, said at the opening of a modern renewable energy laboratory donated by BP to Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University (ASOIU), Report informs.

Abdullayev said work was currently underway on the regulatory framework, with several key parameters and boundaries already identified.

He noted that one of China's leading research institutes is studying Azerbaijan's power grid and is expected to share preliminary findings from its analysis of renewable energy integration.

According to Abdullayev, Azerbaijan plans to use several forms of energy storage, including battery systems and pumped-storage hydropower.

He said the country was examining technologies beyond lithium-based batteries, while pumped-storage systems were also being considered for the first time in Azerbaijan.

Abdullayev noted that around 25% of Azerbaijan's water resources are formed in the liberated territories, adding that the justified use of this potential could create additional opportunities.

He said the ongoing assessment covers the type of battery storage systems to be used, the share they should have in the power system, their geographical distribution and spatial planning.

Abdullayev also said rising electricity demand was becoming an increasingly important issue and that standard extrapolation methods were no longer sufficient because artificial intelligence and other factors were affecting consumption patterns.

He stressed that Azerbaijan currently has enough generation capacity to meet growing demand and that no emergency measures would be required in the near term.

"The technologies to be used for energy storage, their share in the system and their geographical location are being studied intensively. I hope that by the end of September we will be able to present a general conceptual approach," Abdullayev said.