Launch of Bilasuvar SPP in Azerbaijan to be accelerated, moved to end of 2026
BAKU. March 2 (Interfax) - Azerbaijan has agreed with the company Masdar (UAE) to accelerate the construction of the Bilasuvar Solar Power Plant to bring it into operation at the end of 2026, the Azerbaijani Energy Ministry said.
Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov met with the chief executive officer of Masdar, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, on Friday. The parties discussed the current state of implementing solar energy projects with a total capacity of 760 MW (the Bilasuvar and Neftchala SPPs), as well as wind energy projects with a capacity of over 200 MW in the Absheron and Garadagh districts.
"An exchange of views took place on the prospects of new interconnection projects for exporting electricity, including green energy to Europe. It was noted that the growth in electricity demand in the global energy landscape dictates the need to create new generating and transmission capacities. In this context, Azerbaijan's implementation of regional export route projects and domestic energy supply projects, including new directions such as artificial intelligence and data centers, was assessed as a strategic priority," the ministry said.
The sides noted the regional significance of the projects being implemented and planned by the company in Azerbaijan and expressed the intention to further expand the partnership.
As reported, construction of the Bilasuvar SPP began on August 12, 2025. The plant is being built on a territory of 1,450 hectares in the Bilasuvar district in the south of the country.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Bilasuvar SPP (445 MW) and the Neftchala SPP (315 MW) took place in June 2024. It was planned that both plants would be commissioned in 2027.
It is expected that after construction is completed, the facilities will generate around 1.7 billion kWh of electricity per year. Their launch will also lead to annual savings of 380 million cubic meters of natural gas. The total cost of the SPPs is estimated at $670 million. Masdar is implementing these projects in cooperation with SOCAR Green (a subsidiary of the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijani Republic, SOCAR). SOCAR Green's share in each of the projects is 25%.
The Bilasuvar SPP will generate 897 million kWh of electricity annually. It will provide power supply to 179,000 consumers (homes), and the annual gas savings will amount to 193 mcm.
