Within the framework of the Shafag Project, the construction works of the photovoltaic (PV) solar power plant (SPP) will begin in the second half of this year in Jabrayil district, which is part of the Eastern Zangazur economic region of Azerbaijan, Azernews reports, citing Aaron Shane, the chief environmental and social planning specialist of Lightsource bp company, as he said at the discussion of the initial version of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA).

The construction work within the project is expected to last for about 18 months. The document will be submitted to the Ecology Ministry in March, and it is expected to be approved in April.

It should be noted that the Shafaq Project is implemented by bp. Preparations for the construction of the SPP were carried out by Lightsource bp company.

The potential environmental and socio-economic impacts of the activities to be carried out under the ESIA Shafag project are reviewed, and the recommended mitigation measures are described. The ESIA process aims to ensure that any negative impacts of the proposed works on the environment and the socio-economic sphere are identified, minimised, and, if possible, eliminated.

It is worth noting that the SPP will cover an area of??approximately 802 hectares and will have a capacity of 240 megawatts of alternating current (MVtAC). The project includes the design, supply, engineering, construction, installation, testing, commissioning, and operation phase of a 240 MWtAC PV solar power plant.