Zimbabwe Seeks Energy Expertise in Azerbaijan

Zimbabwe's Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Mudenda, has concluded a bilateral visit to Azerbaijan aimed at securing energy expertise to combat the nation's power deficit. The visit culminated in high-level meetings with Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov and the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR).

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while Zimbabwe has made gains in energy supply, there is an urgent need to scale up renewables to extricate the country from current challenges and accelerate economic growth.

Discussions centered on how Zimbabwe could adapt Azerbaijan's successful energy strategies, with a particular focus on integrating renewable energy sources, developing balanced climate policies, establishing legislative frameworks, and fostering academic collaboration. Mudenda described the mission as a strategic learning opportunity to study Azerbaijan's energy ecosystem, intending to accelerate Zimbabwe's industrialization and modernization efforts. He highlighted the urgent need to scale up renewables to overcome current energy challenges and boost economic growth.

Minister Shahbazov provided an overview of Azerbaijan's energy mix, which includes hydropower, natural gas, and solar power. He noted Zimbabwe's potential for solar energy due to ample sunlight and detailed Azerbaijan's significant investments in new power stations, which are set to add 2,000 MW of renewable energy by 2027, freeing up natural gas for export. Azerbaijan aims for 40% renewable energy in its grid by 2035 and is already exporting power to Europe.

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Contracts for 11 new power stations, with two already on the national grid, two more due in 2026 and the rest by 2027.

However, Shahbazov cautioned that fossil fuels still meet 80% of global energy demand, posing challenges for baseline power stability. Mudenda echoed concerns about strict climate restrictions, arguing that Africa should be allowed to utilize its resources, including coal, with calibrated carbon sequestration. He also mentioned Zimbabwean universities' work on converting emissions into hydrogen and producing lithium batteries to reduce oil dependence.

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while renewables are the future, 80% of global energy demand is still met by fossil fuels, creating challenges for baseline power stability.

Both leaders emphasized the crucial role of academia and legislation. Shahbazov offered workshops for Zimbabwean legal and energy experts and pledged to share laws related to AI, climate change, and biodiversity in the energy sector. Mudenda stressed that robust legislation is key to attracting investment, citing Azerbaijan's successful framework in drawing financial engineering into its energy sector.

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Africa must be allowed to utilize its resources, including coal, through calibrated carbon sequestration in line with science-based environmental standards.