BP has revealed plans to implement its solar project in Azerbaijan

Lightsource bp Company (BP's "daughter" company) plans to submit the final version of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report on the construction of the “Shafag” solar power plant to the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan by the end of March this year. This power plant, which is to be built in the Jabrayil region, will have a capacity of 240 MW, said Aaron Shane, chief planning specialist for environmental and social issues at Lightsource bp.

"In March, we plan to submit the final version of the EIA for the construction of the SES “Shafag” to the Ministry of Ecology of Azerbaijan and expect that it will be approved in April," Shane said on Wednesday at a public hearing of the report.

According to him, the report reflects information on the current state of the environment and social environments, provides forecasts on the impact of the project on the environment and measures to minimize and reduce any potential impact on the environment and the population.

"Construction is to begin in the second half of this year, it will take a total of 18 months," Shane said.

Tamam Bayatli, head of the press service of BP-Azerbaijan, in turn, stressed that the company expects to sign a final investment decision (FID) with the government of Azerbaijan on the construction of this SES by the end of this year.

According to the EIA report, the SES will be built in the Jabrayil region, northwest of the Araz River, 6 km south of the city of Jabrayil, near the village of Hajili.

The territory of the station will be 802 hectares, the station itself will have 240 MW of AC power (generating capacity), which at its peak can reach 288 MW.

The project includes the design, supply of equipment, construction, installation, testing, commissioning and operation of a photovoltaic solar power plant.

Lightsource bp will be responsible for the construction, commissioning and operation of the plant.

The electricity produced by the power plant will eventually be transferred to the national grid of Azerbaijan. The construction of a 33/330 kV substation is also planned as part of the project.

According to the schedule, from July to October 2024, Lightsource bp plans to conduct work on the mobilization of forces and means (labor, equipment, etc.) and the preparation of the territory. The construction of the SES will be conducted from October 2024 to November 2025, commissioning tests will begin in November 2025, and commercial operation of the station will begin in December 2025.

It is expected that within 6-8 months the construction staff will include 300 people on average, during the peak period it will reach 700 people.

Earlier, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that the construction of the “Shafag” SES would provide electricity to the Sangachal terminal and export the released gas to Europe. It is expected that the SES will generate 500 million kWh of electricity annually.

On June 3, 2021, the Ministry of Energy of Azerbaijan and BP signed an Executive agreement on cooperation in the field of evaluation and implementation of a 240 MW solar power plant construction project in the Jabrayil region. Investments in the project are estimated at $200 million. On September 21, 2023, SOCAR and AIC signed a Memorandum of Intent with bp on joining the “Shafag” SES construction project.