By Mirsaid Ibrahimzade

The launch of the 400-megawaat Shimal-2 power plant, which is expected to become an important event in the history of power industry of the country, is closer than ever.

Azerenergy OJSC has accelerated the construction process of the new Shimal-2 power station, the groundbreaking of which was held with the participation of President Ilham Aliyev, according to the company.

The construction of the plant, with a capacity of 400 megawatts, is nearing completion. Test work is carried out every week at the plant, together with the specialists from Mitsubishi. The Shimal-2 power plant will be commissioned during the summer of this year.

Repair, commissioning and restoration work was carried out in recent months by specialists from Azerenergy at the Shimal-1 power plant, located in the village of Shuvalan not far from Baku, as part of the program for the rehabilitation of the power system of Azerbaijan.

The damaged unit of the plant block was replaced with a new one, according to the company. Work was suspended at the plant due to the replacement of equipment, and both local and foreign specialists were invited. The fuel compressor was replaced, and other units of power plant equipment were cleaned and replaced during the course of the work.

After the completion of the repair work, testing was carried out at the plant together with specialists from Mitsubishi, General Electric and ABB, after which the power plant resumed its operation.

Reconstruction, repair and restoration works increased the capacity of the power plant from 350 to 380 megawatts.

After the completion of the repair work, testing was carried out at the station together with specialists from Mitsubishi, General Electric and ABB, after which the power station resumed its operation.

Reconstruction, repair and restoration works increased the capacity of the power plant from 350 to 380 megawatts.

The manufacturer of main power units is Mitsubisshi Heavy Industries and the supplier of electical equipment is Siemens AG. The total capacity of the power plant is 409 MW.

Thanks to the constructed control center, stable and economical operation of both stations will be ensured. The total annual output at Shimal-1 and Shimal-2 stations will make up 5.7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity.

Throughout history, the power industry of Azerbaijan has been considered to be a dynamically developing one.

The electric power industry, along with the oil and gas industry, plays a leading role in the economy of Azerbaijan. It also occupies an important place in the social infrastructure. To date, there are no settlements in Azerbaijan that do not have access to electricity.

Today, the South-Caucasian state fully provides itself with electricity and even exports it in large quantities. The process of rehabilitation and reconstruction of existing power units has been launched around the country, which can add at least 500 megawatts to the current energy production without building new facilities.

Thus, the commissioning the Shimal-2 plant with a capacity of 400 megawatts will only enhance existing opportunities for electricity exports.

Azerbaijan’s electricity production amounted to 22.52 billion kilowatt-hours in 2018, thus showing an increase of 3.4 percent compared to 2017.

The electricity exports to Russia, Georgia, Iran and Turkey increased by 175 million kilowatt-hours or 14.2 percent in 2018 compared to 2017. Azerenergy JSC is the main exporter of electric energy in Azerbaijan.

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