DOI: https://doi.org/10.36719/2706-6185/59/39-46
Ali Mammadzada
Istanbul University, Turkey
PhD Candidate
https://orcid.org/0009-0005-5097-0448
a.mammadzada@ogr.iu.edu.tr
Azerbaijan as a Key Energy Hub in the South Caucasus: Geopolitical Implications and Sustainable Development Perspectives Within Traceca
Abstract
Azerbaijan was a peripheral region in the Soviet Union; however, since the end of the Cold War, Azerbaijan has been able to become a major global energy player by becoming an integral part of the energy supply chain of both the Caspian Sea Basin and the global market. Through its energy resources and geographic location, Azerbaijan has developed several new methods to transport energy by building pipelines and multimodal transportation corridors that bypass current traditional routes for transporting energy from Europe and Central Asia and transport energy from Europe through Central Asia to Asia. This paper discusses how Azerbaijan's transition from an energy supply and transportation hub has affected regional geopolitics in the region, including the sustainability of this new role in light of international climate change commitments. This conclusion examines the development of TRACECA, the Southern Gas Corridor.
The paper will also investigate Azerbaijan's adoption of new policies supporting renewable energy, such as large-scale solar and wind energy projects; the country has set various greenhouse gas reduction targets and has created green energy transportation corridors to determine whether the goals of the country are consistent with sustainable development. The study concludes that while, through hydrocarbon resource development, Azerbaijan is able to create and maintain diplomatic relationships with other nations and attract investment, Azerbaijan is struggling with two major challenges: the need to diversify its economy and to begin reducing carbon emissions in its energy sector.
Keywords: Azerbaijan, energy hub, TRACECA, Middle Corridor, geopolitics, sustainable development, renewable energy