Azerbaijan sees Georgia and Türkiye as the main existing route for expanding its electricity exports toward Europe, President Ilham Aliyev said in an interview with Azerbaijani television.

Aliyev said Azerbaijan already supplies oil and natural gas to European markets and now wants to strengthen its role as an electricity exporter.

According to the president, the current westward electricity route runs through Georgia and Türkiye before continuing toward European markets. He said transmission opportunities along this corridor should be expanded.

For Georgia, the statement is significant because any substantial increase in east–west electricity trade would depend not only on cross-border links, but also on the capacity of Georgia’s domestic transmission network.

Two westward electricity routes involving Georgia

Azerbaijan is currently involved in two major initiatives that could increase electricity flows through Georgia.

The first is the Caspian–Black Sea–Europe Green Energy Corridor involving Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary.

Its central infrastructure concept includes a high-voltage submarine electricity connection across the Black Sea.

Aliyev said the feasibility study for the Black Sea energy cable has already been completed.

The wider corridor has been under development since Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary signed a strategic partnership agreement on green energy development and transmission in December 2022.

The second initiative focuses on an overland route through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye toward Southeast Europe.

In April 2025, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye and Bulgaria signed a memorandum on cooperation in green electricity transmission and trade.

Work has since continued on the technical framework and roadmap for the proposed corridor.

The two routes could complement each other. One would move electricity through Georgia and Türkiye toward Southeast Europe, while the other would connect Georgia directly across the Black Sea toward Romania.

Existing trade already runs through Georgia

The proposed corridors would build on electricity trade that already takes place between Azerbaijan and neighbouring systems.

According to Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Energy, the country exported around 1.15 billion kWh of electricity in 2025.

Türkiye received approximately 595 million kWh, while Georgia received 416.4 million kWh.

Azerbaijan also imported 50.2 million kWh from Georgia during the year. This shows that cross-border electricity exchanges can move in both directions depending on market and system conditions.

Azerbaijan’s electricity system is directly interconnected with Georgia. Georgia, in turn, is connected with Türkiye through existing cross-border transmission infrastructure.

Any significant increase in westward electricity exports would therefore place more importance on the capacity of both the cross-border links and Georgia’s internal high-voltage network.

Additional generation would need matching transmission capacity

Azerbaijan is also expanding solar and wind generation, which officials increasingly link to future electricity exports.

However, larger export volumes would depend on more than new generation.

They would also require sufficient transmission capacity along the route through Georgia, as well as reliable operation of the interconnected systems.

This is where Georgia’s domestic infrastructure becomes directly relevant.

Much of the electricity moving from Azerbaijan toward Türkiye must pass through Georgia’s transmission system before reaching the western border.

What expanded electricity trade would require from Georgia

Georgia already occupies a central position in the emerging east–west electricity routes.

Its grid connects directly with Azerbaijan and Türkiye, while the planned Black Sea cable would create another route toward Romania and the European market.

Expanding electricity trade along these routes would require more than new cross-border infrastructure. Larger flows would also have to move safely through Georgia’s domestic transmission system.

This makes investment in high-voltage lines, substations, system flexibility and network reliability directly relevant to the regional corridor plans.

The same infrastructure would also be important for Georgia’s own electricity sector.

Stronger transmission capacity can support domestic renewable projects, improve connections between generation and major demand centres, and give the system greater flexibility in cross-border electricity trade.

Aliyev’s comments therefore highlight not only Azerbaijan’s export ambitions, but also the importance of Georgia’s transmission network in determining how much additional electricity could ultimately move westward.

Source note

This article is based on President Ilham Aliyev’s August 2026 interview with Azerbaijani television and information published by the Ministry of Energy of Azerbaijan, Report.az and official project sources.