Parviz Shahbazov: Future cities will be built on energy efficiency

Achieving concrete and measurable results in energy efficiency will become one of the key features of future cities.

Report informs that Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov said this at an event titled "Cities at the Heart of Connectivity: Urban Reconstruction and Regional Cooperation," held as part of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku.

According to the minister, future cities will create greater value while consuming less energy, with energy efficiency and green technologies playing a decisive role in this process.

"The restoration and reconstruction process being carried out in Azerbaijan's liberated territories is a clear manifestation of this approach. We are not only rebuilding infrastructure in those lands, but shaping the cities of the future. Smart cities, smart villages, green energy zones, energy-efficient infrastructure and digital governance systems are being applied in these areas within a single concept."

The minister stressed that President Ilham Aliyev's declaration of Karabakh and East Zangazur as a green energy zone, as well as the target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, reflect Azerbaijan's strategic vision.

"Currently, 38 hydropower plants with a total capacity of 307 megawatts are operating in these areas. In parallel, construction of solar power plants with a total capacity of 340 megawatts is ongoing. In addition, rooftop solar panels with a capacity of 7,000 kilowatts have already been installed, and assessment work is being carried out on the construction of a 240-megawatt wind power plant. As a result of commissioning 1,650 megawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2030, greenhouse gas emissions are projected to decrease by about 2 million tons annually," Shahbazov said.