Kalbajar: On August 21, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva participated in the opening ceremony of the Ashagi Vang, Nadirkhanli, and Chaykend small hydropower plants operated by AzerEnerji OJSC in the village of Vang, Kalbajar district.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, AzerEnerji Chairman Baba Rzayev provided a briefing to the President and First Lady about the new stations. The development of these plants aligns with President Aliyev’s vision of transforming the Karabakh and East Zangazur economic regions into a ‘green energy’ zone. The Ashagi Vang and Nadirkhanli plants, with capacities of 8.6 MW and 8.8 MW respectively, were constructed to meet this objective. Key infrastructure includes a main intake structure at the confluence of the Lev and Tartar Rivers, and a second intake on the Tutqu River. To preserve the river ecosystem, special hydrotechnical installations have been implemented, ensuring no fish enter the pipelines, and the water quality remains unchanged.
The power plants are equipped with modern technology and integrated into the country’s centralized SCADA system to provide clean energy to approximately 25,000 people. The Ashagi Vang and Nadirkhanli stations are expected to generate 48 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, conserving 12.5 million cubic meters of natural gas and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 23,000 tons. Additionally, eight residents of the Kalbajar district have gained employment through these projects.
The Chaykend Small Hydroelectric Power Plant, with a 5 MW capacity, is the eleventh ‘green energy’ facility commissioned by AzerEnerji in the area. It is supplied with water from the Tartar River through an 8,500-meter pipeline. This plant will provide energy for about 7,000 people and features advanced technologies, including digital switching and remote control capabilities from Baku. Anticipated to produce 15 million kilowatt-hours annually, the Chaykend plant will save 3.2 million cubic meters of natural gas and cut down carbon dioxide emissions by 6,000 tons. Four local residents have been employed at this site.