Azerbaijan plans to completely replace gas heating with heat pumps by 2060

Azerbaijan's construction industry intends to completely abandon the use of gas heating, transitioning to heat pumps by 2060, according to Azerbaijan's long-term low-carbon development strategy, Report informs.

The Government of Azerbaijan has prepared a comprehensive plan to transition the residential and commercial stock to energy-efficient standards to achieve net-zero emissions. According to data for 2022, buildings accounted for 14% of total emissions in the country, which amounted to 10 million tons of CO₂ equivalent.

The main decarbonization tool will be the transition from traditional gas heating systems to air-to-water electric heat pumps. According to the strategy, by 2060, the share of heat pumps and electric stoves in all buildings in the country should reach 100%.

In order to reduce energy consumption, large-scale insulation of both existing (including Soviet-era residential housing) and new building stock is envisaged. In addition, the widespread introduction of double-glazed windows, a complete transition to LED lighting, and the use of high-energy-efficiency household appliances are planned.