Azerbaijan inaugurates its largest wind farm to date
Azerbaijan officially commissioned the 240-megawatt Khizi-Absheron Wind Power Plant, constructed by Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power, at a formal ceremony held on January 8 at the Gulustan Palace in Baku according to the Presidential News Service. President Ilham Aliyev attended the event and delivered a keynote address.
The Khizi-Absheron facility, now fully operational, is the largest wind power plant commissioned in Azerbaijan to date and is ACWA Power’s first renewable electricity project in the country. The plant has an installed capacity of 240 MW and is expected to strengthen Azerbaijan’s overall power generation capacity and support rising domestic demand while enabling higher electricity exports.
Aliyev said the foundation stone for the project had been laid exactly four years earlier, in January 2022, and described the commissioning as a milestone in the modernisation of Azerbaijan’s energy system. He stated that Azerbaijan’s total installed generation capacity has nearly tripled over the past 20 years to about 10,000 MW, calling this a historic high. He added that this figure would continue to rise as new renewable projects come online in the coming years.
The project was developed with China’s PowerChina acting as the main contractor. Aliyev said PowerChina’s role in the project would extend beyond contracting, noting the company’s interest in participating in future Azerbaijani energy projects, including as an investor.
Aliyev said that renewable energy development has become a core state priority, alongside conventional generation. He said that in addition to the Khizi-Absheron wind plant, a 230 MW solar power plant has recently been commissioned, while three solar plants with a combined capacity of 340 MW are under construction in Jabrayil district. Further wind and solar projects are planned in Bilasuvar, Neftchala, Nakhchivan and other regions, including formerly occupied territories.
He also highlighted Azerbaijan’s offshore wind potential, noting that international assessments estimate wind capacity in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea at 157 GW. According to Aliyev, signed contracts envisage the construction of 6 GW of wind and solar capacity by 2030 and a total of 8 GW by 2032. In parallel, Azerbaijan is developing its first battery energy storage systems, starting with a 250 MW project implemented by AzerEnerji.
Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Energy Nasser Al‑Qahtani described the Khizi-Absheron project as a flagship example of long-term strategic cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan in renewable energy. He said the partnership extends beyond power generation to grid integration, battery storage, transmission infrastructure and human capital development, with further onshore and offshore wind projects under consideration.
China’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Lu Mei said the facility was the first large-scale wind power project implemented in Azerbaijan and noted that it would supply electricity to around 300,000 households. She highlighted the project as a practical outcome of broader China-Azerbaijan cooperation in green energy, infrastructure and technology under the Belt and Road framework.
ACWA Power founder and chief executive Mohammed Abunayyan said the project reflected Azerbaijan’s long-term energy vision and investment environment, adding that the company plans to expand its activities in the country. He confirmed that ACWA Power is preparing to implement Azerbaijan’s first Caspian Sea desalination project and said the company views Azerbaijan as a future exporter of both hydrocarbons and green energy.
Following speeches by the participating officials, President Aliyev and Abunayyan jointly launched the Khizi-Absheron Wind Power Plant, marking the start of its commercial operation.
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