BAKU: In early 2024, AzerEnergy, the largest state-owned electrical power producer in Azerbaijan, in cooperation with SOCAR Trading, applied to the Global Carbon Council (Qatar) and Gold Standard (Switzerland) for carbon certificates for several small hydropower plants, aiming to participate in the voluntary carbon credit market, AzerEnergy told Trend. The plants for which applications have been submitted include Chirag-1, Chirag-2, Soyugbulag, Gamyshly, and Meydan in the Kalbajar district, as well as Mirik and Garigishlak in the Lachin district. The certification and validation of carbon management project structures included an initial review of documents for seven small hydroelectric power plants, followed by a field audit as part of the registration process. "An auditing company was engaged to conduct the field audit. The audit took place within three days, starting on June 10, 2024, with an expert visiting Azerbaijan. The ongoing registration process for these seven small hydroelectric power plants aims to prevent the emission of 40,000-50,000 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually," the statement reads. To note, the project, to be implemented in recently liberated territories, represents one of Azerbaijan's initial submissions for participation in the voluntary carbon credit market. Source: Trend News Agency