President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the opening ceremony of the 110/35/10 kV Khankendi-1 substation, operated by Azerenerji OJSC, in the city of Khankendi on December 23.
Chairman of the Board of Azerenerji Baba Rzayev briefed the head of state on the completed works at the facility.
In accordance with the directives of President Ilham Aliyev to establish a reliable electricity infrastructure in the liberated territories, a modern closed-type 110/35/10 kV substation meeting urban grid standards has been constructed in Khankendi. To connect Khankendi city and surrounding areas to the national power system, an 11-kilometer high-voltage transmission line was laid from Shusha, including 1.8 kilometers of underground cable installed across complex mountainous and forested terrain. This facility is the first closed-type 110 kV substation in the liberated regions, with all equipment, including transformers, installed indoors.
The substation is equipped with a modern microprocessor-based Digital Control Center operating on the Micro-SCADA system, developed by specialists of Azerenerji and applied here for the first time. The system enables real-time monitoring, control, and event recording of high-voltage lines and equipment. The substation will ensure a reliable and uninterrupted power supply to Khankendi city, as well as the Aghdara, Khojaly, and Khojavend districts.
President Ilham Aliyev was also informed about innovative technologies used in the creation of an approximately 1,000-kilometer ring-type power supply network across Karabakh and East Zangezur. Over the past five years, Azerenerji has built around 1,000 kilometers of high-voltage transmission lines interconnected through 12 newly constructed substations, forming a dual-circuit 330/110 kV ring system. This effort included the construction of the Jabrayil Energy Hub and the comprehensive reconstruction of the Imishli, Aghjabadi, and Ganja substations. This constitutes the largest modernization of the region’s power system in its history, ensuring automatic load redistribution and uninterrupted electricity supply in the event of any malfunction.
Another pioneering initiative is the introduction of Digital Monitoring and Analysis Systems for substations and overhead transmission lines, initially implemented in Karabakh and East Zangezur and planned for nationwide deployment. State-of-the-art digital equipment has been acquired, and young Azerbaijani engineers have undergone specialized training abroad. The system uses high-resolution cameras and thermal imagers mounted on vehicles and drones to collect and analyze data, while laser technologies allow for the detection of distances, overheating, and technical defects not visible to the naked eye.
President Ilham Aliyev was further briefed on major projects implemented by Azerenerji within the framework of the Green Energy Transition. Construction of the country’s largest 500 kV Navahi substation has been completed. New 330 kV and 220 kV substations in Jabrayil and Sangachal, respectively, have been commissioned to integrate the Shafag Solar Power Plant and electrify the Sangachal terminal. Battery Energy Storage Systems – the largest by capacity in the CIS – are currently under construction at the Absheron and Aghdash substations. To enable the integration of 2 gigawatts of new renewable energy capacity and enhance grid stability, Wide Area Monitoring and Wide Area Control systems are being introduced.
