Baku, July 16 (AZERTAC). President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the opening of the Surakhani solar power station of the "AzAlternativEnerji" Limited Liability Company under the State Agency for Alternative and Renewable Energy.

Large-scale projects have been successfully implemented in all areas of life in the country in recent years. As a result of the reforms carried out in various sectors, including the energy sector, rapid development has been achieved. The establishment of the Surakhani solar power station of the "AzAlternativEnerji" Limited Liability Company under the State Agency for Alternative and Renewable Energy is further evidence of the fact that the work under way in this direction has assumed a consistent nature. The station fitted with state-of-the-art equipment has all the opportunities for delivering electricity to consumers without losses.

"The use of alternative and renewable energy means modernity, innovation and environmentally friendly technologies. This is our vision for the future," President Ilham Aliyev, who has made a historic contribution to the establishment of this industry, said.

It is worth noting that in order to improve the management system in the field of alternative and renewable energy in the country, the State Agency for Alternative and Renewable Energy was established by a presidential decree and a number of documents and programs were adopted in 2013 to facilitate the development of this industry.

Considerable work has been done in recent years to ensure effective use of alternative and renewable energy and create a modern infrastructure in the industry. This work has helped enhance the use of alternative and renewable energy in the economy and the social sphere, created the conditions for the implementation of measures associated with the development, consumption and efficiency of such energy. Azerbaijan is a country possessing a rich alternative and renewable energy potential. The goal has been set to increase the share of alternative and renewable energy in the total energy production to 20 per cent by 2020.

The chairman of the State Agency for Alternative and Renewable Energy, Akim Badalov, informed President Ilham Aliyev about the work done.

It was noted that the station operates a training center. The center is intended to provide various courses for students enrolled for a given specialty, as well as specialists in this area. The station has been built on an area of ​​6 hectares acres. A total of 8,000 solar panels have been installed. They are capable of generating almost 12,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per day. In the future there are plans to install another 4,000 such panels. This will open up opportunities for a more efficient operation of the station.

The construction of the station began in March 2014, while since 22 May it has operated in test mode. Over this period certain installations of the station have been tested alongside its operation in various modes, including emergency.

The head of state visited the control center of the station.

This center controls the operation of solar panels installed on the Gobustan hybrid power station, the Surakhani solar power station, the Bilasuvar refugee settlement, the Masalli sports center, as well as five schools and two outpatient clinics in Baku. In the near future, there are plans to commission solar power plants in Sumgayit, Samukh, Sangachal and Pirallahi. The operation of the existing stations has generated more than 4 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and saved about 1,300,000 cubic meters of natural gas.

President Ilham Aliyev was informed about the Surakhani solar power station’s indicators.

It was noted that mainly local raw materials and equipment were used in the construction of the station. The design capacity of the plant is 2,800 kilowatts, while annual electricity production will be 4 million kilowatt-hours. When the station reached its design capacity, it will save 1.5 million cubic meters of gas per year.

Then the head of state was informed about the mobile laboratory of the State Agency for Alternative and Renewable Energy.

This laboratory is designed to determine the potential of alternative and renewable energy. The laboratory is fitted with the most sophisticated specialized equipment, as well as an autonomous energy source. The lab, capable of being delivered to various regions of the country, is to verify the profitability of installing solar, wind and hydroelectric power plants in a given area. The mobile solar generators produced by the State Agency are of particular importance. The equipment is fitted with solar panels and can collect energy from the Sun and store it. The Agency also produces hydrogenous generators. This unit can generate a high temperature and perform gas-welding work. In contrast to other generators, this one is environmentally friendly. During welding, the device operates in 3,500oC.

President Ilham Aliyev reviewed the map reflecting the development of alternative and renewable energy in Azerbaijan until 2020. The goal has been set to set up hybrid power plants in every city and region of Azerbaijan by 2020. At present, research is under way to determine the number of stations to be built in each particular region. The placement of such stations close to residential settlements will prevent the losses of electricity and help deliver it to customers at a cheaper price. In general, in order to ensure the development of alternative and renewable energy, the power plants with an installed capacity of 2,500 megawatts will generate 11 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year by 2020, which means savings of about 3 billion cubic meters of gas a year. Studies show that the investment made in the field of alternative and renewable energy is recouped within seven to eight years.

While reviewing the development projects of the State Agency for Alternative and Renewable Energy until 2015, the head of state was informed about plans to build power plants with a total installed capacity of 300 megawatts in various regions of the country.

The "Buzovna Eco-kend" project is also very important. As a result of the project, power supply to the area will be provided by solar panels, which will help avoid any environmental problems in the production of electricity. "Gobustan 2020" can be considered a pilot project. It will be implemented through a system called "Smart Grid", which, along with the reduction of energy losses, will lead to the supply of better quality electricity to consumers. If a breakdown occurs anywhere in Gobustan, the system will disable power supply not to the entire area, but to a specific location. The implementation of the project in Gobustan District can save 212 kilometers of transmission lines and 94 transformer stations. The project also envisages the construction of 11 reservoirs of different capacity. There are plans to bring the area of land in Gobustan District irrigated by water pipes due to solar power stations from 5,000 to 50,000 hectares. A series of economic, agricultural and industrial facilities will be established here as part of the project.

President Ilham Aliyev was informed about the automatic lighting control system of roads and residential buildings. The purpose of this system is to illuminate roads and residential buildings in various modes depending on the time of day. For instance, the system can illuminate roads also depending on the traffic intensity. This saves energy and reduces road maintenance costs. The system is quite special because all of its intellectual programs have been designed by the State Agency for Alternative and Renewable Energy.

Then, President Ilham Aliyev was photographed with the station team.

After reviewing the work done, the President gave relevant instructions and recommendations.