Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan have officially established a joint venture to implement the “green” energy corridor project to Europe, the press service of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Energy reported.

On July 1 in Baku, representatives from Azerenerji, Kazakhstan’s National Electricity Grid Operator (KEGOC), and Uzbekistan’s National Electric Networks signed an agreement to create and approve the charter of the new company—Green Corridor Union LLC. The headquarters will be located in Azerbaijan’s capital.

Representing Uzbekistan at the ceremony was Feruz Kurbonov, Deputy Chairman of the Board for Investment Activities at the National Electric Networks. Farhad Mammadov, managing director of Green Energy Corridor Power based in Bucharest, was appointed CEO of the new enterprise.

According to public sources, Mammadov previously held leadership positions in Azerbaijan’s State Maritime Administration, the state oil and gas company SOCAR, and the Ministry of Energy. His professional background includes work on cross-border infrastructure projects and international legal matters.

The green energy corridor project was first detailed in November 2023, when energy ministry officials from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan discussed prospects for supplying renewable electricity to Europe through their territories. The concept envisions laying a deepwater cable along the Caspian Sea bed and building the necessary infrastructure for energy export to EU countries.

In August 2024, the parties agreed to establish a joint company to handle the export of green energy, with its office located in Baku.

According to Uzbekistan’s Deputy Minister of Energy, Umid Mamadaminov, by 2030 the country will be able to export up to 10–15 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually to Europe. He noted that the Italian company CESI was selected to prepare the project’s feasibility study.

The preparation of documentation is expected to take about one and a half years, with completion planned by the end of 2025. Following approval of the feasibility study, construction will commence, including the laying of a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line approximately 2,500 kilometers long. Preliminary cost estimates exceed US$2 billion.

Mamadaminov also stated that the price of exported electricity will be market-based but will not fall below 4–5 cents per kilowatt-hour.

The energy route involves laying a cable across the Caspian Sea bed, then through Azerbaijan and Georgia, followed by the Black Sea bed to Romania. The new generation facilities, as emphasized by Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Energy, will operate independently from the existing national grid to avoid additional load.

The project has received international political support: in November last year, the presidents of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan signed an agreement at the UN climate conference (COP29) held in Baku.

In March, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev approved a Strategic Partnership Agreement on the development and transmission of green energy.

In December 2024, energy operators from the three countries formalized the energy corridor agreements through an official treaty.