US to assist Azerbaijan in securing European power grid - US official

BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 3. Through mechanisms like Southern Gas Corridor (SGC), Azerbaijan plays a remarkable role in securing European energy system, US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Diplomacy in the Bureau of Energy Resources Laura Lochman said in an interview with Azerbaijan's ARB channel, Trend reports.

"Success of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) took a lot of countries and companies to realize it, and now we see how successful and critical it has been in terms of energy security for the region. Azerbaijan is playing an increasing important role in regional and European energy security," she said.

According to Lochman, besides SGC, Azerbaijan is also looking into future with its initiative to develop renewable energy sector.

"Azerbaijan has played a remarkable role up to this point through mechanisms like the SGC, and also looking to the future with renewable energy projects. There is a huge potential in wind and solar, and, eventually, the same will be with hydrogen. And it will continue to be the same as the investments are being made," she added.

US companies, as the leaders in the field of renewable energy, stand to play an important role in Azerbaijan, she pointed out.

"As green energy projects are being proposed and further developed, we will look into how exactly our companies may contribute. We will continue to support US companies and continue the regular dialogue between the governments," Lochman said.

The potential in Azerbaijan, including the liberated territories, is significant. For instance, the potential in offshore wind is enormous. Then you add onshore wind and solar. All this can be beneficial for Azerbaijan’s domestic use and for the export, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary added.