12:16 - 16.09.2026

September 16, Fineko/abc.az. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the inauguration of the 100 MW "Gobustan" Solar Power Plant in the Garadagh district of the capital on September 16.

Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Azerbaijan Lu Mei, and Chief Executive Officer of Universal International Holdings Limited Yi Nan welcomed the Head of State. President Ilham Aliyev was briefed on the "Gobustan" Solar Power Plant, Universal Energy, and its operations in Azerbaijan. It was noted that the Shanghai-founded company provides solutions for green energy and energy storage systems, actively implementing renewable energy projects in China, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.

Under a 2023 decision by the Cabinet of Ministers, a 300.77-hectare land plot in the Pirsaat settlement of the Garadagh district was designated for renewable energy development. China's Universal International Holdings Limited won the auction for the site in 2024. The Gobustan plant marks the first renewable energy project executed through an auction mechanism in Azerbaijan, as well as Universal Energy’s debut project in the country.

Following its commissioning, the plant is projected to generate approximately 200 million kWh of electricity annually, saving 45 million cubic meters of natural gas per year and reducing carbon emissions by 97,000 tons.

With the operational launch of the Gobustan Solar Power Plant, the total renewable energy capacity in Azerbaijan reaches 2,170 MW across 85 facilities. This includes 65 hydroelectric power plants (1,443.5 MW), 6 wind power plants (306.5 MW), 9 solar power plants (278.2 MW), 3 hybrid power plants (7.3 MW), and 1 waste-to-energy BIO plant (37 MW). Renewable energy sources currently constitute roughly 20.8 percent of the country's total power capacity, with plans to implement approximately 1.5 GW of additional renewable energy projects by the end of 2027.