UK energy security ambassador: We want to be Azerbaijan’s top energy partner

The UK is the biggest investor in Azerbaijan and one of the country’s largest trading partners for many years. Cooperation between countries covers various areas, the most significant of which is energy.

Report presents an interview with UK Regional Energy Security and Climate Ambassador for Europe and Central Asia David Moran, who spoke about the main economic aspects of cooperation between the two countries, as well as the joint fight against climate change.

- Now that the whole world is trying to find an alternative to Russian gas, does the UK plan to increase energy cooperation with Azerbaijan? How do you see BP's role in this cooperation?

- Azerbaijan is a long-term energy security partner full stop. And we work closely both with the government and of course BP. So, we have a special relationship. We are really pleased to continue our cooperation, which was officially confirmed by the conclusion of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of energy transition in 2021.

A memorandum will help share best practice on a number of fields: clean energy, energy efficiency, low-carbon technologies, as well as energy market transition. There is a lot that government can do to work government-to-government but also continue to work with BP and with Azerbaijani companies as well.

In these difficult times, it’s great that Azerbaijan has contributed to Europe’s security through additional provision of gas. Every bit of gas that’s brought to Europe, of course, really helps. And Azerbaijan has been in a good place to help them.

- Can the UK or its private companies play a role in renewable energy projects of Azerbaijan and the country's efforts to become fully “green”? Can we expect any support from the UK in green projects in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan?

- Yes, we want to be Azerbaijan’s top energy partner as Azerbaijan looks to go from fossil fuels to clean energy. BP and others are very keen to enter and take part in renewable energy market of Azerbaijan. I have to say that there are some 300 to 400 UK energy firms already in Azerbaijan supporting the energy industry and there are other companies from the UK which will continue to create jobs and bring new skills and knowledge into the country.

The BP is already planning to expand into the renewable energy in Azerbaijan and they’re looking into a 240-megawatt solar plants in Jabrayil. The UK government also helps fund Azerbaijan’s offshore wind roadmap. Last year your energy minister paid a visit to the world’s largest grid-connected offshore wind farm in the North Sea and we’re very ready to share our experience in renewable energy that will help to realize Azerbaijan’s extra huge potential.

- There are already 30 years of successful cooperation between the two countries in the oil and gas sector, which entered a new stage of development in line with the challenges of the global energy sector. Has this factor changed in any way since Brexit?

- We’re very keen on expanding beyond oil and gas, and have been for quite a while. Supporting Azerbaijan’s economic diversification is a key focus of our annual economic and trade dialogue. And along with clean energy we’ve identified ICT, healthcare and agriculture as our priority cooperation areas in 2022. We cooperate in the fields of infrastructure, creative industry, transport, digital structure and others. Over recent years there’s been a number of new successful collaborations between the UK and Azerbaijan. Our experts are advising Azerbaijan to better improve waste management in hospitals.

Also, UK is supporting a master plan on reconstruction process in Karabakh.

- How can the UK and Azerbaijan cooperate on tackling the challenges of climate change?

- We’re already working together to better adapt to the negative impacts of climate change. It’s very important that the countries halve their emissions by 2030 because without that we can’t keep on track to keep global average temperatures by the end of the century to 1.5 degree less. So, that’s quite an ambitious target.

I’ve personally as a former COP26 ambassador met Azerbaijani ministers in both Glasgow and COP27 at Sharm El Sheikh. Those conversations we had have demonstrated Azerbaijan’s commitment to climate action and interest in collaborating with us on that, and it’s a joint ambition.

You don’t have a lot of choice in terms of the time, we have to act now, so it’s good to have reliable partners. A good thing is that we don’t face a binary choice between cutting emissions and economic growth. Economic growth is really important, but we have found that over many years between 1990 and 2019 we were able to grow our economy by 78 percent, while in the same period cutting emissions by 44 percent, and that was the fastest decline in the G7. In some ways emission cuts and green action is a spur, a driver of economic growth rather than something that challenges it.

And we are eager to have Azerbaijan’s transition to renewable energy and cut emissions. And we’re glad that they continue to sign up to international climate pledges. Of course, future carbs give them and us opportunities to do more.