Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Bulgaria are working towards an intergovernmental agreement on a new green electricity corridor that could be signed during the COP31 climate conference in Antalya in November.
The proposed Green Electricity Transmission and Trade Project would create a framework for moving renewable power between the Caucasus and European markets while allowing participating countries to exchange surplus output and manage periods of tighter supply.
Turkey views the initiative as part of a broader strategy to become a regional electricity transit hub. Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has compared its potential strategic importance with the TANAP gas corridor.
Stronger interconnections could provide an additional outlet for solar and wind generation in Azerbaijan and Georgia, improve regional security of supply and create a new route into Southeast European markets through Turkey and Bulgaria.
Turkey and Azerbaijan are separately studying a direct connection involving the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan. Initial technical work has been completed and a preferred option identified, although there is no construction timetable.
Transmission system operators are conducting further feasibility studies. The November agreement would give the wider four-country corridor an institutional framework, but financing, capacity allocation and delivery schedules would still need to be resolved before construction could begin.
For Southeast Europe, the project’s value will depend less on its political label than on whether it delivers firm cross-border capacity. The region already has growing renewable surpluses, but congestion frequently prevents cheaper electricity from reaching higher-priced markets.
