Azerbaijan Kicks Off Offshore Wind Measurement Campaign with LiDAR Deployed in Caspian Sea

Why It Matters

High‑resolution offshore wind data de‑rises design risk and accelerates Azerbaijan’s transition from fossil fuels to a sizable renewable portfolio, signaling new market opportunities in the Caspian region.

Key Takeaways

• EOLOS launched its FLS200 floating LiDAR buoy at AGEC’s Caspian site.
• Campaign is first offshore‑wind site‑assessment using LiDAR in the Caspian region.
• Data will support a 200 MW pilot, scaling to 600 MW offshore wind.
• One‑year measurement will deliver bank‑grade datasets for turbine selection.

Pulse Analysis

Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Energy has accelerated its shift from hydrocarbon‑centric production toward renewable power, targeting offshore wind in the Caspian Sea. In December 2025 the ministry signed a deal with Clean Energy Capital, a subsidiary of Azerbaijan Green Energy Company (AGEC), to assess a 200 MW pilot that could eventually reach 600 MW. The agreement reflects Baku’s ambition to diversify its export basket and meet European clean‑energy standards. Deploying a dedicated measurement campaign signals that the country is moving from feasibility studies to concrete project planning.

EOLOS Floating LiDAR Solutions provides the FLS200, a Stage‑3‑accredited buoy that combines wind, metocean and biofouling sensors on a self‑stabilising platform. By positioning the buoy at the centre of AGEC’s lease area and pairing it with seabed instruments at the perimeter, the campaign captures simultaneous wind speed, direction, wave height and current data across the full turbine rotor envelope. The one‑year deployment will generate bank‑grade datasets that enable engineers to size turbines, select foundations and model fatigue loads with confidence, reducing downstream design risk.

The measurement effort positions the Caspian basin as a nascent offshore‑wind hub, attracting European turbine manufacturers and financing firms eager to tap under‑utilised wind corridors. Successful data collection could accelerate the 200 MW pilot, encouraging further public‑private partnerships and potentially unlocking billions of dollars in investment for the 600 MW target. However, developers must still address biofouling, ice‑free winter conditions and grid‑integration challenges unique to the land‑locked sea. If these hurdles are managed, Azerbaijan could become a model for other Central Asian economies seeking to diversify energy portfolios.