Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR has launched artificial intelligence (AI)-based energy efficiency programmes at its carbamide plant in Absheron as part of a pilot project. 

According to Teymur Quliyev, SOCAR’s vice president, told a public hearing held at the parliament's Natural Resources, Energy and Ecology Committee that the technologies tested in this initiative will be expanded to other facilities following successful implementation, reported APA News Agency. 

The SOCAR Carbamide plant, located in the Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park, was commissioned on January 16, 2019. It utilises 435mn cubic metres of natural gas annually as feedstock, with a production capacity of 650,000-660,000 tonnes per year (tpy) of urea, 70% of which is designated for export.

SOCAR has also started measuring emissions using drones and satellites to improve monitoring capabilities, particularly for offshore oil and gas platforms and long-distance pipelines. Quliyev highlighted that traditional handheld measurement tools are inefficient and impractical for such operations. The use of remote sensing technologies has streamlined the process while also reducing costs.

The company is aiming to eliminate routine flaring across all operations by 2030. In line with international best practices, SOCAR will focus on five key areas over the next 5-10 years, including enhancing energy efficiency, increasing the use of renewable electricity, preventing methane gas leaks, capturing and storing excess methane for export, and reducing corporate emissions intensity. By 2030, the company plans to reduce upstream emissions intensity by 30% compared to 2022. By 2035, SOCAR aims to lower corporate emissions intensity by 30% and total emissions by 20%, with the ultimate goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.