Grzegorz Zieliński: Azerbaijan to benefit from bold steps in offshore wind energy - EXCLUSIVE

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is prepared to support grid modernization and flexible generation in Azerbaijan, Grzegorz Zieliński, director, head of Energy Europe Team at the EBRD, told Report.

These are keys to integrating growing volumes of renewables reliably, he noted.

"We have been working with Azerbaijan on the policy side, including work that looks at the transmission grid's ability to absorb new renewable sources, because system readiness matters as much as new capacity.

In practical terms, that means we could consider financing investments that strengthen the transmission network and help the system stay stable as variable renewables scale up. As part of modernisation, digitalisation of system operations often becomes an integral piece of the package, because it helps run a more complex grid safely and efficiently.

The one point I would add is about scale. Integrating 1 GW is meaningful, but if the objective is to support the economics of a major cross-border corridor to the EU, the renewable build-out would need to be substantially higher than 1 GW - which is why the discussion now needs to move to a multi-gigawatt pipeline, particularly the offshore wind. We are on the right track, but bold steps in this direction will have to be made soon," he said.

"Azerbaijan has the potential to contribute to Europe's energy security not only through gas, but through green energy as well. That said, it is important to be realistic about the timeline: moving from current potential to large-scale exports requires major new generation and infrastructure capacity, and that does not happen overnight.

Building large-scale renewables, especially offshore wind, is complex and lengthy process, so it would be unrealistic to expect tangible outcomes, such as the first 4–6 GW of offshore wind operating and a functioning transmission route to the EU, within the next two to three years. But the time for the decisions is now.

We are also supporting Azerbaijan in shaping the groundwork on green hydrogen, including through the National Hydrogen Strategic Outlook developed recently. Now is the time to explore how this can be taken forward in practice," he added.