Rana Humbatova, Deputy Director of the Azerbaijan Renewable Energy Agency (AREA) under the Ministry of Energy of Azerbaijan, is participating in events held as part of the 15th International Forum on Energy for Sustainable Development in Xi'an, China, Renewables.az reports, citing the AREA.
As part of the forum, Rana Humbatova delivered a statement during the first session of the 18th meeting of the UN Expert Working Group on Energy Connectivity, dedicated to “Shaping the Next Phase of the Regional Roadmap.”
The statement highlighted Azerbaijan's initiatives to develop its renewable energy potential, expand green electricity export opportunities, and strengthen regional energy connectivity.
Humbatova outlined Azerbaijan's energy transition priorities, emphasizing the importance of modernizing and digitalizing electricity grids and improving relevant grid code requirements to facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources into the power system.
The presentation also covered major regional projects, including the Caspian–Black Sea–Europe Green Energy Corridor, the Central Asia–Azerbaijan Green Energy Corridor, and the Azerbaijan–Türkiye–Europe energy interconnection.
It was noted that these initiatives would contribute to expanding energy cooperation among countries in the region, developing electricity trade, and ensuring more efficient utilization of renewable energy potential.
Azerbaijan's targets to increase the share of renewable energy sources in total installed electricity generation capacity by 2030 and expand green electricity exports to European markets in the long term were also highlighted.
As part of the forum, Humbatova also participated as a speaker in a session of the UN Expert Working Group on Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7), titled “Accelerating the Energy Transition through Competition Policy in Electricity Market Design.”
The discussions focused on the role of competition policy and regulation in electricity markets in strengthening energy security and accelerating universal access to energy. Participants addressed the modernization of electricity markets, distributed renewable energy generation, energy storage systems, and active consumer participation in energy markets.
Humbatova also emphasized the importance of accelerating electrification across various sectors of the economy, including transport and buildings, expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure, deploying smart grid technologies, and introducing flexible and simplified mechanisms for distribution grid management.
The presentation further highlighted ongoing efforts in Azerbaijan to eliminate existing barriers to connecting distributed renewable energy sources to the grid and to develop electricity distribution networks.
