{"id":51113,"date":"2024-05-17T14:00:50","date_gmt":"2024-05-17T13:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/?p=51113"},"modified":"2024-05-21T10:49:36","modified_gmt":"2024-05-21T09:49:36","slug":"azerbaijan-pursues-clean-energy-to-export-more-god-given-gas-to-europe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/2024\/05\/17\/azerbaijan-pursues-clean-energy-to-export-more-god-given-gas-to-europe\/","title":{"rendered":"Azerbaijan pursues clean energy to export more ‘god-given’ gas to Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"

An ocean of 570,000 solar panels stretches out as far as the eye can see across an arid landscape an hour\u2019s drive from Azerbaijan\u2019s capital Baku. In the sun-baked hills of Garadagh, a country built on oil and gas is taking its first steps towards what it bills as a \u201cgreen\u201d future.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is Azerbaijan\u2019s first large-scale solar power plant. It opened last October and the Emirati company developing it, Masdar, <\/span>says it can<\/span><\/a> power 110,000 homes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Climate Home visited the solar park as part of a media tour organised and sponsored by the Azerbaijan COP29 Presidency, which is arranging the UN climate summit in Baku this November.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the park’s opening ceremony, in front of Sultan Al-Jaber – Masdar\u2019s CEO who led the COP28 climate summit in Dubai – Azerbaijan\u2019s President Ilham Aliyev <\/span>boasted<\/span><\/a> about his country\u2019s determination in \u201cmoving towards a green agenda\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is our contribution not only to the future development of Azerbaijan but to the issues related to climate change,\u201d he told the assembled dignitaries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But despite this rhetoric, climate scientists have questioned Azerbaijan\u2019s climate credentials as it prepares to host the COP29 summit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

An increase in renewable energy production does not mean Azerbaijan is planning to leave its vast oil and gas reserves in the ground. <\/span>Aliyev said<\/span><\/a> last month that Azerbaijan will try to sell abroad the gas it saves by not using it in power stations at home. Europe is the main target customer, as it shifts away from Russian gas supplies.<\/span><\/p>\n

In Nagorno-Karabakh,<\/strong> Azerbaijan\u2019s net zero vision clashes with legacy of war<\/span><\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

On top of selling its surplus, Azerbaijan is planning to extract more gas thanks, in part, to fresh investments from foreign fossil fuel giants like <\/span>Britain\u2019s BP<\/span><\/a>, France\u2019s TotalEnergies and <\/span>Emirati oil giant ADNOC<\/span><\/a>, which Al-Jaber also heads.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Bill Hare, CEO of climate science non-profit group Climate Analytics, called Azerbaijan\u2019s plans \u201ca fantasy\u201d. \u201cRamping up renewables won\u2019t make a dent in emissions unless they displace fossil fuels in the system,\u201d he told Climate Home. \u201cYou can\u2019t tackle climate change without getting rid of fossil fuels.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A spokesperson for COP29 said gas is “an ideal transition fuel in the production of electricity”. In emailed comments, they added that gas exported to Europe can replace coal power – which currently provides around 15% of the EU\u2019s electricity – in the short to medium-term, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n

Azerbaijan is not alone in pursuing both renewable energy and fossil fuel production. Most fossil fuel producers – including wealthy nations like the US, UK and Canada – have no plans to stop producing oil and gas. That\u2019s despite the <\/span>International Energy Agency (IEA) warning<\/span><\/a> that new fossil fuel extraction projects are not compatible with limiting global warming to 1.5C.<\/span><\/p>\n

The COP29 spokesperson said Azerbaijan’s strategy does not contradict IEA scenarios, noting those do not exclude continued investment in existing oil and gas assets and approved projects.<\/p>\n

A fossil fuel economy<\/b><\/h3>\n

Azerbaijan\u2019s fossil fuel industry is steeped in history. As early as the 13th century, Italian explorer Marco Polo <\/span>wrote of<\/span><\/a> Baku\u2019s \u201cstream of oil in such abundance that a hundred ships may load there at once\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the 19th century, Azerbaijan gave birth to modern crude refining, and by the 20th century it <\/span>accounted<\/span><\/a> for around half of the world\u2019s oil production, helping fuel the Soviet Union\u2019s victory in World War Two.<\/span><\/p>\n

Oil and gas remain omnipresent today. The Flame Towers, Baku\u2019s iconic skyscrapers, are a symbol of fossil fuel wealth. At night, their facades light up to display flickering flames in a reference to the naturally-occurring fires produced by gas leaks that <\/span>earned <\/span><\/a>Azerbaijan its name, \u201cThe Land of Fire\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The logo of SOCAR, the state-owned oil and gas firm, <\/span>emblazons<\/span><\/a> the national football team shirts, while one of the country\u2019s oldest oil fields sits just behind Baku\u2019s Olympic Stadium, the venue for the COP29 climate summit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"oil<\/a>

Oil fields on the outskirts of Baku, Azerbaijan, April 2o24. Photo: Matteo Civillini<\/p><\/div>\n

By global standards, Azerbaijan is no longer a major fossil fuel producer, pumping less than 1% of the world\u2019s oil and gas. But its economy remains heavily dependent on the income they generate. Fossil fuels make up over 90% of all exports and <\/span>64%<\/span><\/a> of government revenue.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin last month, Aliyev said that \u201chaving oil and gas deposits is not our fault. It’s a gift from God. We must not be judged by that. He added that \u201cour oil and gas will be needed for many more years, including in European markets\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

A shrinking market?<\/b><\/h3>\n

European countries have historically been the main destination market for Azerbaijani oil and gas, and flows <\/span>have been rising<\/span><\/a> in the wake of Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As Europe tried to wean itself off Moscow\u2019s supplies, the European Commission went looking around the world for alternative sources of gas to keep the lights on and curb skyrocketing prices. In Azerbaijan, it struck<\/span> a new deal<\/span><\/a> to double gas exports by 2027.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Baku is now scrambling to make good on that pact, while using it as a lever to expand its lucrative gas industry. The country could<\/span> boost<\/span><\/a> its gas production by more than a third over the next decade, according to data analysis by campaigning group Global Witness.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n