By Nigar Orujova

A solar power plant will be built in the Pirallahi district of Baku.

The construction of the new 2.8 MW solar plant has begun recently and is planned to be finished this year.

Baku is rich in alternative energy sources such as sun and wind.

Project documentation for the construction was approved by Baku Executive Power and the State Committee for Architecture and Urban Planning.

A land area of 2 hectares in the northeast of Pirallahi was allocated to the State Agency for Alternative and Renewable Energy for the construction of the plant.

The plant's construction is carried out in accordance with the state program of socio-economic development of Baku and its settlements in 2014-2016.

There is also a good potential for solar energy production at the whole Kur-Araz lowland area, Absheron peninsula, Gobustan district, and Nakhchivan AR, the sunniest areas of Azerbaijan with 250-300 sunny days a year.

The share of solar energy in the total volume of alternative energy in Azerbaijan is estimated to reach 40 percent by 2020, while the share of alternative energy sources in general is planned to increase to 20 percent of the total volume of energy consumption in Azerbaijan by 2020, which presupposes around 7 billion manats ($8.9 billion) investments.

Besides solar and wind energy, Azerbaijan has also a potential for using geothermal energy.