While the recent United Nations climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, left some attendants puzzled about the state of carbon capture and storage solutions, three countries signed a historic green energy agreement on the sidelines. This agreement assumes the start of an ambitious, cross-borders project.
In November, two days into the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29), BNN Bloomberg reported that the leaders of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan signed an agreement to produce and transport green energy across the Caspian and Black seas.
This corridor would supply the European market with clean energy and would be transported through energy cables under the seas.
To execute this energy project, Uzbekistan aims to increase its renewable energy production to 27 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, according to Eurasianet. A power plant producing 1 GW of power continuously could supply 876,000 households annually (at a rate of 10,000 kilowatt-hours spent per household each year), according to Carbon Collective.
In the same timeline, Kazakhstan hopes to increase its renewable energy production to around 8 GW, though it may also use that much capacity. Azerbaijan aims to produce 5 GW of renewable solar and wind energy by 2030, per Eurasianet, and will play a major role in exporting the green energy supply to European markets.
This historic tripartite corridor should make clean energy more accessible and abundant. The world is shifting away from dirty energy sources, as seen in this soccer stadium in the Netherlands. Relying on more sustainable energy sources like wind and solar, as Spain is doing, also reduces the amount of harmful pollution in the air that contributes to the warming of the planet.
This energy venture should also create jobs, develop important sustainable energy infrastructure, and create business opportunities for many.
Funneling into the European market, this clean energy project may also help countries in the European Union accelerate their progress in reaching climate goals by 2030.
A translated press release (Russian to English), published on the official website of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, reflected on the events at the signing ceremony between the three countries.
"Renewable energy is not an economic goal, but an investment in the future, the result of our sense of responsibility to future generations," the press release read.
"The economic effect from the implementation of the project being launched will be felt by all its participants," the release concluded.
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