ACWA Power, Masdar, SOCAR to Develop 500 MW Renewable Energy Projects in Azerbaijan

ACWA Power confirms its commitment with its partners to accelerate decarbonization efforts worldwide. (The company’s website)
ACWA Power confirms its commitment with its partners to accelerate decarbonization efforts worldwide. (The company’s website)
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ACWA Power, Masdar, SOCAR to Develop 500 MW Renewable Energy Projects in Azerbaijan

ACWA Power confirms its commitment with its partners to accelerate decarbonization efforts worldwide. (The company’s website)
ACWA Power confirms its commitment with its partners to accelerate decarbonization efforts worldwide. (The company’s website)

Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power plans to develop 500 megawatts of renewable energy projects in Azerbaijan in partnership with Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co. (Masdar), and the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR).

The MoU was signed by Thomas Brostrom, Chief Investment Officer of ACWA Power, Mohamed Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, and Afgan Isayev, Vice President of SOCAR.

The joint venture will bolster Azerbaijan’s stride toward its net-zero ambitions.

“We are thrilled to join forces with Masdar and SOCAR in our commitment to advancing clean energy solutions around the world. Our shared vision for a sustainable and decarbonized future transcends competition,” said ACWA Power CEO Marco Arcelli.

For his part, Al Ramahi said that this “builds on Masdar’s existing partnership with Azerbaijan for the 230MW Garadagh Solar PV plant.”

He went on to say, “with plans to develop a potential pipeline of up to 10GW of renewable energy projects in the Central Asia nation, this latest collaboration in Nakhchivan will further strengthen Azerbaijan’s net-zero ambitions.”

“Our alliance with ACWA Power and SOCAR demonstrates our shared goal of supporting countries to diversify their energy mix and decarbonize economies for a greener, cleaner future.”

Moreover, Isayev stated “this partnership represents a crucial milestone in our journey toward a sustainable energy future,” adding, “This strategic alliance underscores our dedication to harnessing the vast potential of solar and wind energy, furthering our efforts to reduce carbon emissions”.

Currently, ACWA Power is developing a wind energy project in Azerbaijan, with a capacity of 240MW for $286 million.

Earlier this year, the company signed four implementation agreements for major renewable projects with Azerbaijan’s Energy Ministry.

These projects include a 1-gigawatt onshore wind farm, a 1.5GW offshore wind installation, and a battery energy storage initiative.

Additionally, the utility giant also signed a cooperation agreement with SOCAR to collaborate and explore the field of green hydrogen.

Masdar has also had a presence in Azerbaijan since 2020 through the 230MW Garadagh solar plant.

The UAE has also signed agreements to develop wind, solar, and green hydrogen projects with a total combined capacity of 4GW.

In January, Masdar and Azerbaijan agreed on an option to expand the total capacity for renewable projects to 10GW across multiple technologies.



UN Predicts World Economic Growth to Remain at 2.8% in 2025

A vegetable vendor sits beside a bonfire on his handcart on a cold winter evening in New Delhi on January 6, 2025. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP)
A vegetable vendor sits beside a bonfire on his handcart on a cold winter evening in New Delhi on January 6, 2025. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP)
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UN Predicts World Economic Growth to Remain at 2.8% in 2025

A vegetable vendor sits beside a bonfire on his handcart on a cold winter evening in New Delhi on January 6, 2025. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP)
A vegetable vendor sits beside a bonfire on his handcart on a cold winter evening in New Delhi on January 6, 2025. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP)

Global economic growth is projected to remain at 2.8% in 2025, unchanged from 2024, held back by the top two economies, the US and China, according to a United Nations report released on Thursday.

The World Economic Situation and Prospects report said that "positive but somewhat slower growth forecasts for China and the United States" will be complemented by modest recoveries in the European Union, Japan, and Britain and robust performance in some large developing economies, notably India and Indonesia.

"Despite continued expansion, the global economy is projected to grow at a slower pace than the 2010–2019 (pre-pandemic) average of 3.2%," according to the report by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

"This subdued performance reflects ongoing structural challenges such as weak investment, slow productivity growth, high debt levels, and demographic pressures," Reuters quoted it as saying.

The report said US growth was expected to moderate from 2.8% last year to 1.9% in 2025 as the labor market softens and consumer spending slows.

It said growth in China was estimated at 4.9% for 2024 and projected to be 4.8% this year with public sector investments and a strong export performance partly offset by subdued consumption growth and lingering property sector weakness.
Europe was expected to recover modestly with growth increasing from 0.9% in 2024 to 1.3% in 2025, "supported by easing inflation and resilient labor markets," the report said.

South Asia is expected to remain the world’s fastest-growing region, with regional GDP projected to expand by 5.7% in 2025 and 6% in 2026, supported by a strong performance by India and economic recoveries in Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the report said.

India, the largest economy in South Asia, is forecast to grow by 6.6% in 2025 and 6.8% in 2026, driven by robust private consumption and investment.
The report said major central banks are likely to further reduce interest rates in 2025 as inflationary pressures ease. Global inflation is projected to decline from 4% in 2024 to 3.4% in 2025, offering some relief to households and businesses.
It calls for bold multilateral action to tackle interconnected crises, including debt, inequality, and climate change.
"Monetary easing alone will not be sufficient to reinvigorate global growth or address widening disparities," the report added.