Azerbaijani and Georgian electricity export project takes step forward

A joint green-energy project involving Azerbaijan and Georgia has cleared an initial European hurdle, and its blueprint for exporting electricity from the Caspian Basin to the EU will now undergo a cost-benefit analysis.

The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) opted to include the project, known as the Black Sea Green Energy Corridor, in a group of infrastructure projects under consideration within the framework of a Ten-Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP 2026). “Over the course of 2026, all projects in the TYNDP 2026 portfolio will have their benefits assessed,” read an ENTSO-E statement. The results of the cost-benefit analysis are expected to be published in late 2026.

The Black Sea Green Energy Corridor, which partners Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary, was conceived in 2022 with the four participating countries creating a holding company to manage the project. Concurrent with the EU regulatory approval process, consortium members have commissioned a feasibility study, the Azerbaijani government-connected outlet Caliber.az reported.

If it gets a green light, the project will involve laying a power transmission cable beneath the Black Sea connecting Azerbaijan and Georgia to Romania. The power line is projected to have an annual carrying capacity of up to 4 Gigawatts, most of which would be generated by renewable sources.

In the spring of 2025, the consortium members applied to the EU for the Green Energy Corridor to receive special status, enabling an expedited regulatory approval process.

Azerbaijan envisions linking the Black Sea cable to a trans-Caspian power line that Baku is seeking to build in cooperation with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. If that plan comes to fruition, much of the electricity reaching the EU via the Black Sea cable stands to be generated by wind and solar farms in Central Asia.

ENTSO-E operates under an EU mandate. Its membership comprises 40 Transmission Systems Operators from 36 countries, aiming to ensure “the secure and coordinated operation of Europe’s electricity system – the world’s largest interconnected grid,” according to ENTSO-E’s website.

‍