Jabrayil: The investors of the Shafag (Jabrayil) solar project – bp, SOCAR Green, and the Azerbaijan Business Development Fund – are pleased to announce that construction activities for the project are progressing on schedule in the Jabrayil district of Azerbaijan.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the project reached a significant milestone with the final investment decision made in June 2025, which led to the awarding of two major contracts.
The engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract, valued at approximately $117 million, was awarded to Intec and Complant. This contract encompasses the full scope of engineering, procurement, and construction services, along with operation and maintenance for the initial two years of the plant’s operations. Construction activities have already begun, with site mobilization completed and earthworks and internal road construction currently underway.
Additionally, a contract valued at over $29 million was awarded to Trina Solar (Schweiz) AG for the supply of solar panels. Under this agreement, work has commenced, and the first shipment of panels was successfully delivered to the site in August 2025. Colin Allan, director of Shafag (Jabrayil) Solar Limited (SJSL), highlighted that significant progress is being made on the project, which includes collaboration with SOCAR Green and the Azerbaijan Business Development Fund.
A noteworthy discovery during earthworks was a historic archaeological site in the northern part of the project area. This open settlement, potentially dating back to the Bronze to Early Iron Ages, includes surface materials such as grinding stone fragments, clay pottery shards, and structural patterns of arranged river stones. Experts from Azerbaijan’s Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology are assessing the historical value of these findings.
Construction activities are expected to continue through mid-2027, with an emphasis on using local resources. The project is anticipated to create up to 400 jobs at its peak. The $200 million Shafag (Jabrayil) solar project, sanctioned in June 2025, involves the construction of a new 240MW AC solar plant. It is linked to the Sangachal terminal electrification (STEL) project via a ‘virtual power transfer arrangement’, enabling the terminal to connect to the national grid through new facilities. This initiative is expected to reduce operational emissions by around 50% over the future life of the Sangachal terminal. The shareholding interests in SJSL are: bp 50.01%, SOCAR Green 39.99%, and ABDF 10%, with Lightsource bp being the project developer.