Extreme Heat Wave Leads to Massive Blackouts in Azerbaijan

The Associated Press reported that a massive blackout hit Azerbaijan and affected most of the country Tuesday. It was the worst power outage since Azerbaijani independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

President Ilham Aliyev set up a government commission to investigate the accident at a power plant in Mingechavir that officials said caused the blackout. The Emergencies Ministry said the breakdown of a transformer in Mingechavir sparked a fire that was put out in 20 minutes and did not cause any deaths.

The blackouts occurred as the country experienced a heat wave, with temperatures reportedly as high as 44 degrees Celsuis (104 degrees Fahrenheit) – a 120-year record – causing power consumption to spike. The outage plunged Baku and nearly 40 other cities and regions into darkness.

Officials said power was restored in Baku after several hours, but several subway stations in the capital were closed. Some hospitals also experienced disruptions of operations, along with the onshore oil production facilities of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR). Offshore assets (Shah Deniz and Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli platforms) and Sangachal Terminal continued operating normally, using autonomous power sources. Baku International Airport and the state railway company also reported some delays.

Utility crews struggled throughout the day to restore power in other regions.

On Tuesday evening, Baku and other regions suffered a second blackout, stranding thousands in underground subway cars until rescuers arrived, according to RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service.

The state-run APA news agency reported early on July 4 that power supplies had been restored to all regions of Baku and the rest of the country. A spokesman for state-run AzerEnergy said the country was looking to Georgia and Russia for stop-gap energy replacements.

After July 4, temperatures are expected to drop to milder levels.

By Samantha Guthrie

Photo: ArtsakhPress