AZE.US
President Ilham Aliyev used a daylong visit to Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave on Aug. 11 to advance a broad package of transport, energy, military and urban development projects, including railway upgrades tied to TRIPP, two solar power plants, a new industrial park and housing and tourism developments.
Aliyev traveled with First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva. It was his 17th visit to Nakhchivan as president, according to remarks he made at the end of the trip.
The visit offered one of the clearest outlines yet of Baku’s plan to transform Nakhchivan into a transport and energy hub connecting mainland Azerbaijan with Turkey, Iran and potentially European markets.
Visit Begins at Heydar Aliyev Monument
Aliyev and the first lady began their program by visiting the monument to former President Heydar Aliyev in central Nakhchivan. They laid flowers at the memorial.
They then inspected work at the Shams 1 and Garbi Ufug solar power plants, which will have a combined capacity of 50 megawatts.
The 25-MW Shams 1 project is being developed by CEI Nakhchivan on a 52-hectare site. Solar panels with a capacity of 10 MW have already been installed, while construction is expected to be completed in November. The project currently employs 218 workers.
Once operational, the plant is expected to generate about 57 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually – enough to supply approximately 19,000 households. Officials said it could save 12 million cubic meters of natural gas and prevent around 26,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
The second 25-MW facility, Garbi Ufug, will occupy 50 hectares. Topographical surveys have been completed, while geological studies are continuing. Construction is expected to begin before the end of 2026.
The plant is projected to generate 61 million kilowatt-hours annually and supply about 21,000 households.
A total of 688 hectares in Nakhchivan has been designated for solar projects. The exclave currently accounts for 108 MW of Azerbaijan’s 2,070 MW of installed renewable-energy capacity. The two new plants would raise Nakhchivan’s capacity to 158 MW.
New Industrial Park Planned on 310 Hectares
Aliyev and the first lady attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the Nakhchivan Industrial Park, which will cover 310 hectares southwest of the city, near the Nakhchivan-Sadarak highway.
The park is expected to include manufacturing facilities as well as administrative and social infrastructure. Electricity, heating, gas, water, telecommunications and transport networks will also be developed.
Officials said talks were already underway with potential domestic and foreign investors. By area, the park will be Azerbaijan’s second-largest after the Sumgayit Industrial Park.
Aliyev later said a 300-MW thermal power plant would also be built as part of the industrial complex. Nakhchivan’s current generation capacity is approximately 200 MW, meaning the proposed plant alone would increase it by about 150%.
The president said the facility would strengthen Nakhchivan’s energy security while creating additional export capacity.
Railway Reconstruction Linked to TRIPP
Transportation infrastructure was one of the central themes of the visit.
Aliyev was briefed on the reconstruction of Nakhchivan’s railway network and projects associated with the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, or TRIPP.
The existing Nakhchivan railway line is 188 kilometers long. Under the new project, its length will increase to 194.2 kilometers, with a planned annual freight capacity of 15 million metric tons.
Ten railway stations and three passenger platforms are expected to be reconstructed.
Design work has been completed on a seven-kilometer section between Salam Malik station and the Armenian border, and construction has begun. Track infrastructure is expected to be installed along 6.3 kilometers of the section by the end of September.
Work on the remaining 700 meters will begin after demining operations are completed and the design is coordinated with the planned TRIPP route through Armenia.
The section from Sadarak station to the Turkish border will also be aligned with Turkey’s planned Kars-Igdir-Dilucu railway.
Aliyev said Azerbaijan was open to international investment in the reconstruction of the Nakhchivan railway, provided the Azerbaijani state retains a controlling stake in any consortium. He said the European Union and several countries had expressed interest.
According to Aliyev, construction of the approximately 42-kilometer railway segment across Armenia is expected to begin in 2026. Azerbaijan’s railway from Horadiz toward the Armenian border, he said, should reach the frontier in 2027.
Aliyev described the route as a potential branch of both the East-West and North-South transport corridors. Through the Julfa railway junction, cargo could move from Nakhchivan into Iran and onward toward the Persian Gulf.
Nakhchivan Receives 60 Electric Buses
During the transport presentation, Aliyev and the first lady inspected 60 new BYD electric buses assembled in Azerbaijan.
Each 8.7-meter bus can carry 53 passengers. The vehicles will operate on nine urban routes and are expected to carry as many as 4.5 million passengers annually.
Fares can be paid using bank cards, QR codes, Apple Pay and Google Pay. A digital dispatch center will track the buses in real time.
Aliyev said the vehicles were expected to enter service on Aug. 12. He also announced plans to purchase 217 modern buses for intercity and interdistrict routes during 2026 and 2027.
The government is additionally planning to build or renovate approximately 420 kilometers of roads serving 26 communities with a combined population of around 160,000.
Regional DOST Center Opens
Aliyev and the first lady inaugurated the Nakhchivan Regional DOST Center, which will provide 164 social services through a single-window system.
The center will handle pensions, employment, labor relations, social benefits, disability assessments, adoption and other services.
It will employ 117 staff members and 50 volunteers and is designed to receive an average of 500 to 600 people per day.
People with disabilities will be able to undergo medical and social assessments, receive rehabilitation equipment and obtain referrals to specialized facilities.
Officials also presented advanced prosthetic devices to Aliyev. More than 500 service members have received 620 high-tech prostheses under existing programs, according to the presidential press service.
Combat Flags Presented to New Commando Units
As commander-in-chief, Aliyev attended a ceremony in Nakhchivan’s Separate Combined Arms Army marking the presentation of combat flags to newly established operational commando units.
Mehriban Aliyeva also attended the ceremony.
Aliyev later said strengthening Nakhchivan’s defenses remained a priority because of the exclave’s geography and lack of a direct land connection with mainland Azerbaijan.
He pointed to the creation of new commando forces and the deployment of modern military equipment as evidence of the continued expansion of the region’s defense capabilities.
New Five-Star Hotel Expected by 2028
The president and first lady also broke ground on the Nakhchivan Hotel Complex.
The development will cover more than one hectare and include a seven-story hotel with 131 rooms and capacity for 307 guests. Accessible rooms will be provided for people with disabilities.
Plans also include a restaurant, cafe, fitness center, offices and meeting rooms. A multipurpose hall will accommodate 350 people for banquets or 500 during conferences. An underground parking facility will also be built.
Aliyev said the five-star hotel was expected to open around 2028.
Master Plan Envisions a Larger City by 2044
Aliyev and the first lady were presented with Nakhchivan’s development master plan through 2044 – the first new comprehensive plan prepared for the city since Azerbaijan regained independence.
The plan was developed by the state design institute Azermemarlayiha and international consultancy Chapman Taylor.
A detailed plan covers 74 hectares in the city center, while a separate architectural concept has been prepared for a 12.5-hectare area. Outdated buildings without historical value could gradually be replaced by modern residential and mixed-use developments.
Green space per resident is expected to increase from 15 to 27 square meters. New parks and public spaces are planned along the Nakhchivanchay River.
The city’s road network is projected to reach 188.4 kilometers, including 122 kilometers of cycling infrastructure. That would make more than 65% of the road network suitable for bicycles.
Nakhchivan’s urban area is expected to expand by approximately 44%, from 1,831 to 2,630 hectares. The population is projected to increase from 97,200 to 130,000.
The housing stock would rise to 3.9 million square meters, or an average of 30 square meters per resident. School capacity is expected to reach 23,400 places, preschool capacity 7,800 and the hospital bed count 650.
Employment is projected to rise by nearly 40% to 78,000 people.
Restoration of the Momine Khatun Mausoleum
The presidential couple inspected restoration and conservation work at the Momine Khatun Mausoleum, built by architect Ajami Nakhchivani in 1186.
The project is being carried out with the involvement of Austrian company Atelier Erich Pummer.
Work includes restoring the structure and its roof, monitoring the mausoleum’s existing tilt and installing a drainage system.
The monument was originally 34 meters high, but its height was reduced to approximately 26 meters after an eight-meter section of the outer structure was lost.
The mausoleum has been under state protection as a monument of global significance since 2001 and was placed on UNESCO’s Tentative World Heritage List in 1998.
Monument to Ajami Nakhchivani Unveiled
Aliyev and the first lady attended the unveiling of a monument to Ajami Nakhchivani at the Ajami Seyrangahi recreational complex.
Azerbaijan is marking the 900th anniversary of the architect’s birth in 2026.
The monument was created by People’s Artists Salhab Mammadov and Ali Ibadullayev and Heydar Ahmadov, chairman of the Union of Architects of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
The sculpture is made of bronze and stands on a granite pedestal. Its total height is 3.85 meters, according to official information.
Social Housing Complex to Include 518 Apartments
Aliyev also broke ground on a social housing complex in Nakhchivan.
Sixteen six- and seven-story buildings will be constructed on a site of nearly five hectares. They will contain 518 apartments: 93 one-bedroom, 37 two-bedroom, 351 three-bedroom and 37 four-bedroom units.
The development will include a kindergarten, commercial and dining facilities, roads, sidewalks and landscaped areas. The buildings will be connected to electricity, gas, water and sewage systems.
Aliyev Outlines Broader Plans for Nakhchivan
At the end of the visit, Aliyev gave an interview to Azerbaijan Television in which he linked Nakhchivan’s future development to TRIPP, energy exports and closer economic integration with Karabakh and East Zangezur.
He estimated Nakhchivan’s solar-generation potential at no less than 500 MW and said it could eventually reach 1,000 MW.
Aliyev ordered the construction of an energy-storage facility with an initial capacity of at least 100 MW to support Nakhchivan’s growing reliance on solar and hydropower.
He said TRIPP should be viewed as more than a road and railway connection. Electricity transmission lines and fiber-optic cables could pass through the route, while oil and gas pipelines could potentially be added later.
Aliyev also said he would sign a new order on Aug. 12 allocating substantial funding to specific development projects in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
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