Azerbaijan to begin green energy exports to Europe via Black Sea corridor in 2032

Starting in 2032, Azerbaijan plans to begin exporting up to 4 gigawatts (GW) of green energy through the Caspian-Black Sea-Europe Green Energy Corridor, as part of a phased plan to supply over 6 GW in total, Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov said in an article published on the occasion of the Energy Workers' Day, Report informs.

The minister stated that the feasibility study for the project-designed to connect Europe with both shores of the Black Sea and the Caspian region in terms of energy and digital communications-is expected to be completed by early 2026.

The joint venture GECO Green Energy Company has already applied for the project to be included in the Ten-Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP) of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E). The next step will be applying for PCI/PMI status (Projects of Common/Mutual Interest) within the EU framework.

The Black Sea Energy project dates back to a strategic partnership agreement signed in December 2022 in Bucharest by Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, and Hungary. It envisions the construction of a subsea power cable beneath the Black Sea to transport renewable energy from Azerbaijan's Caspian coast through Georgia and onto Europe.

In May 2024, the national energy operators of the four founding countries signed a memorandum to establish a joint venture for project implementation. Bulgaria has also expressed interest in joining since mid-2023.

The corridor is expected to enable the export of 4 GW of renewable electricity annually to Europe. Construction of the infrastructure is projected to take 3–4 years. The European Commission has announced plans to allocate €2.3 billion to support the project.