Azerbaijan and Georgia are urging the European Commission to grant special status to the “Black Sea Energy” project, which aims to construct an undersea power cable connecting Caspian Basin nations to EU member states, according to Eurasianet.
The initiative, designed to facilitate the export of electricity, particularly from renewable sources, has garnered support from Romania and Hungary, with Bulgaria also expressing interest in participating.
On 10 March, Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov revealed that energy officials from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, and Hungary had sent a joint letter to EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen, requesting that the project be designated as a Project of Mutual Interest (PMI).
PMI status would expedite planning and permit approvals, enhance visibility to investors, and ensure alignment with EU energy and decarbonisation targets. A decision on the application is expected as early as late March.
The Black Sea power line, estimated to cost €3.5 billion and take up to four years to complete, would have the capacity to transmit up to 4 Gigawatts of electricity annually. A significant portion of this energy would be generated from renewable sources, aligning with the EU’s green energy goals. The European Commission has indicated it could fund up to two-thirds of the construction costs, according to Azerbaijani media reports.
Azerbaijan has been actively developing its domestic renewable energy capacity, launching a major infrastructure drive in 2024 to expand solar and wind power generation. The country has set an ambitious target of meeting 30 percent of its domestic electricity needs through renewable sources by 2030.
In addition to the Black Sea project, Azerbaijan is collaborating with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on a Caspian Sea power line initiative.
The project could eventually be integrated with the Black Sea cable, creating a comprehensive network to export “green” electricity from Central Asia to the EU.
