A trans-Caspian green energy project involving Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan won’t become operational for at least five years, according to a report published by the Uzbek outlet Spot News. 

The three states intend to lay a cable across the Caspian Sea’s floor enabling the transmission of wind and solar power generated in the Central Asian states to Europe via Azerbaijan. Spot News cited Marco Arcelli – the CEO of a company developing major green energy projects in Uzbekistan, ACWA Power – as saying the power line’s feasibility study is expected to be completed in 2026.  After that, technical details need to be worked out.

“Based on this document [the feasibility study], we will be able to determine the precise timeframe for launching the project,” Spot quoted Arcelli as saying, adding that he believed it “can only be realised after 2030.”

A primary task at this stage is to “ensure the competitiveness of [electricity] supplies from Central Asia to Europe.”

ACWA Power, a Saudi-based entity, is building wind farms across Central Asia. One project in the autonomous Uzbek region of Karakalpakstan is projected to have an annual power generation capacity of 5 gigawatts, some of which would be available for export. That project is costing an estimated $6.2bn. 

Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan formed a joint venture in 2024, headquartered in Baku, to oversee the construction of the trans-Caspian power line.

This article first appeared on Eurasianet here.