Electricity in Azerbaijan in 2022

In 2022, electricity consumption in Azerbaijan was overwhelmingly dominated by fossil fuels. Close to 94% of the electricity was generated from fossil sources, with natural gas alone accounting for approximately 93% of the total consumption. On the other hand, low-carbon or clean energy made up a small fraction, standing at just over 6%. Hydropower contributed most of this low-carbon electricity, comprising around 5.5% of the total. This indicates a significant reliance on fossil energy, which has adverse impacts on both climate change and air quality.

Suggestions

Azerbaijan can look to numerous successful countries to enhance its low-carbon electricity generation. For instance, neighboring countries like Armenia, which generates 30% of its electricity from nuclear energy, serve as an excellent example. Similarly, Slovakia (60% nuclear) and Bulgaria (42% nuclear) demonstrate how investing in nuclear energy can substantially reduce fossil fuel dependency. Additionally, Denmark’s success in wind energy, where it generates 61% of its electricity from wind, shows the potential of wind power in achieving cleaner energy. Adopting a mix of nuclear, wind, and potentially solar, as demonstrated by countries like Greece and Chile (22% and 21% from solar, respectively), could greatly aid Azerbaijan in transitioning to a more sustainable and green energy mix.

History

Historically, the contributions from low-carbon electricity, particularly hydropower, in Azerbaijan have seen fluctuations over the decades. In the mid-1980s, hydropower experienced minor declines (e.g., a decrease of 0.5 TWh in 1986) but saw some growth in the early 1990s (increases of 1 TWh in 1990 and 0.7 TWh in 1993). However, inconsistencies persisted with declines recorded in years such as 1994 and 1999. The early 2000s brought modest increases, with notable growth in 2002 (0.7 TWh) and continued small but steady increases over the following years. This trend again reversed in 2010 with an increase of 1.1 TWh, but subsequent years saw declines, especially significant ones in 2011 and 2012 (both seeing decreases of 0.8 TWh). Most recently, in 2022, there was a modest increase of 0.3 TWh. Addressing these fluctuations and investing in more stable low-carbon sources like nuclear and wind could provide a more reliable green energy supply for Azerbaijan.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

Data Sources