EU4Energy team talks support for Azerbaijan’s energy sector transformation

By Trend

The EU4Energy team is in constant cooperation and dialogue with Azerbaijan in order to support the transformation of the energy sector, the EU4Energy official told Trend.

"The EU4Energy program is implemented by the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER), the Energy Community Secretariat (EnCS) and the International Energy Agency (IEA). We are in constant cooperation with the Azerbaijani governmental institutions, namely with the Ministry of Energy, Azerbaijan Energy Regulatory Agency and Azerbaijan Renewable Energy Agency in the framework of EU4energy Program Phase II," the source said.

EU4Energy held a workshop on May 25, which brought together European and Azerbaijani experts to discuss the role renewable energy sources (RES) play in the overall concept of a smart city/village, as well as the kind of additional services that should be used in connection with RES for the design of a "smart city" or a "smart village". The workshop allowed participants to follow developments and recent discussions in Europe related to the development of energy communities with an emphasis on EU requirements, feasibility, major obstacles encountered, and available solutions, the official said.

Smart cities/villages innovate, create and promote practices to address urban challenges and create joined-up, technologically advanced and sustainable infrastructure. It enables citizens and local government authorities to work together to develop initiatives to serve the city/village’s needs, and use smart technologies to manage assets and resources in the growing urban environment efficiently and effectively.

Moreover, the EU experts focused on the implementation of EU requirements by Member States as well as the implementation of the sustainable development goals that is being pursued by Austria and Greece. An expert from the Urban Innovation Vienna, Vienna´s Smart City Agency showcased how cities and villages in Azerbaijan can adopt smart methods based on his agency’s example.

According to the official, the current stage of the EU4Energy program "Promoting the Clean Energy Transition in the Eastern Partnership Countries: EU4Energy Phase II" will run until December 2024.

"The program will contribute to the development of sound legislative and regulatory frameworks for energy, to support the region’s transition to clean energy and the liberalization of the energy market. It will also address new challenges and opportunities, such as the gradual embedding of digitalization in all energy-relevant market segments while promoting cost efficiency. The citizens of Eastern partner countries will benefit from a more stable and resilient energy market, empowering consumers and increasing energy security and promoting the development of clean energy," the official added.