Baku: SOCAR’s Vice President, Afghan Isayev, addressed the ongoing challenges in renewable energy during the Baku Energy Forum, highlighting the significant technical hurdles faced by energy grids in accommodating intermittent energy sources. He pointed out that the variability of solar and wind energy poses a universal challenge, requiring grids to have adequate capacity to prevent power outages.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Isayev revealed that SOCAR, in collaboration with its partners, is poised to implement advanced battery energy storage systems as a solution. While lithium-ion batteries have been standard, SOCAR is now planning a shift towards sodium-ion and vanadium batteries, the latter of which is composed of 80% water. These new technologies are touted to be more cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
Isayev also discussed alternative strategies to address the issue, including incorporating balancing energy sources and engaging in energy sharing with neighboring countries. He noted that if these efforts prove insufficient, regional energy sharing-similar to practices observed in Europe-could be employed as a last resort. Despite the challenges, Isayev expressed confidence that these technical issues would be resolved collaboratively.