Azerbaijan's Ministry of Energy Responds to Turan Agency's Queries on Electric Mobility Plan (UPDATED - 22.12.2023)

Details Clarified Regarding Turan Energy LLC's Selection in the National Electric Mobility Plan

The Ministry of Energy of Azerbaijan clarified the issue raised in an article by the Turan agency "Azerbaijan's national electric mobility plan: "Turan Energy" LLC arouses curiosity" dated December 20. In response to the agency's inquiries, the Ministry provided clarifications regarding the selection of Turan Energy LLC in the National Electric Mobility Plan.

Turan Energy LLC secured its position as the winner in the proposal survey for the "National Electric Mobility Plan of Azerbaijan," announced on November 3, 2023. The company was deemed a qualified candidate meeting formal requirements and presented the lowest bid at 421,260.00 manat.

The Chief Executive Officer of Turan Energy LLC is Aliyev Ilgar Mayilkhan oglu. Established on October 1, 2018, the company initiated operations through the formation of a consortium with Volts UAE Limited, a UAE-registered company based in Abu Dhabi.

According to the agreement between the two entities, Turan Energy LLC will oversee the preparation of tender documents, project management, economic and long-term analytical work. On the other hand, Volts will handle market, political, technical, and engineering analyses, economic and investment proposals, along with consultations and training.

Volts UAE Limited, established in 2019 with the involvement of Masdar and BP companies, focuses on activities in electric mobility and "green energy" startup initiatives. The company provides products and services across the UAE, CIS countries, Europe, and the Middle East/North America. Notably, Volts UAE Limited has pioneered a network of high-speed electric filling stations in the UAE and Russia.

This collaboration between Turan Energy LLC and Volts UAE Limited underscores a strategic partnership in advancing Azerbaijan's National Electric Mobility Plan. The Ministry of Energy's response seeks to provide clarity on the selection process and shed light on the collaborative efforts to promote sustainable and electric mobility initiatives in the country.—0—

Turan News Agency expresses its appreciation to the Ministry of Energy for the prompt and thorough response, which paved the way for what we hope will become a constructive partnership based on cooperation.

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Azerbaijan's national electric mobility plan: "Turan Energy" LLC arouses curiosity

According to information posted on the public procurement portal, the Ministry of Energy of Azerbaijan has turned to the services of "Turan Energy" LLC to develop a national electric mobility plan, as reported in the contract worth AZN 421,260. The stipulated deadline for completing the tasks set under the contract is July 1, 2024.

Of interest is the fact that attempts to gather information about "Turan Energy" LLC turned out to be fruitless, leaving unanswered questions about the selection process for the national electric mobility development plan. The lack of transparency associated with this agreement raises concerns about the lack of details regarding a potential tender for the project.

Initially, there were rumors of the alignment with the Turan News Agency' subdivision specializing in power engineering and known for its three decades of involvement in providing detailed information about the energy sector. However, doubts have arisen about the plausibility of such cooperation, given the Agency's "special relationship" with the authorities. Subsequent investigations showed that "Turan Energy" LLC is located in Kazakhstan, but has no explicit relation to Azerbaijan's national plan for electric mobility.

Attempts to find out if we are talking about a joint venture "KCA Deutag" and "SOCAR AQS" - "Turan Drilling & Engineering Company" have yielded negative results.

In view of these uncertainties, an official information request was sent to the Ministry of Energy from its portal at 11:47 a.m. on November 20, 2023. The request asks for prompt clarification on the procedure for selecting the executor of the national plan and additional information related to the project.

The ambiguity arising from "Turan Energy" LLC's participation in the national electric mobility development plan reaffirms the importance of transparency in government contracts, especially in critical sectors such as energy and sustainable transport.

In considering that the stakeholders await the response of the Ministry of Energy, the intrigue surrounding the partnership continues to raise questions about the selection process and the rationale for bringing in a company with questionable credentials for such a key initiative.-