Azerbaijan Launches Offshore Wind Assessment Campaign with Floating LiDAR Deployment in Caspian Sea

Azerbaijan has initiated its first offshore wind measurement campaign in the Caspian Sea, marking a notable milestone in the country's renewable energy ambitions. According to Offshore Energy, EOLOS Floating LiDAR Solutions has successfully commissioned its FLS200 integrated floating LiDAR buoy at an undisclosed location in the Caspian, signalling the start of a structured wind resource assessment programme. The deployment of the FLS200 — a purpose-built floating LiDAR system designed for open-water wind measurement — will enable developers and authorities to gather high-resolution wind data at hub height, a critical prerequisite for evaluating the commercial viability of offshore wind installations. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology has become the industry standard for offshore wind resource assessment, offering accurate, bankable data without the cost and complexity of fixed meteorological masts. The Caspian Sea, the world's largest enclosed inland body of water, presents a unique operating environment for offshore energy development. Bordered by Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iran, the sea has long been associated with oil and gas extraction. Azerbaijan's move to assess its offshore wind potential reflects a broader regional shift toward diversifying energy portfolios and reducing dependence on hydrocarbon revenues. For Azerbaijan, which has historically been one of the South Caucasus region's primary oil producers, the campaign represents a strategic pivot. The country has been expanding its renewable energy capacity in recent years, driven in part by international climate commitments and growing domestic energy demand. The data gathered through this LiDAR campaign will be essential for informing future investment decisions, environmental impact assessments, and potential tendering processes for offshore wind capacity. Industry observers note that robust wind measurement campaigns of this nature typically run for a minimum of 12 months to capture seasonal variability and provide statistically reliable datasets acceptable to project financiers. EOLOS Floating LiDAR Solutions, the Dutch company behind the FLS200 system, has established a track record of deployments across European and international waters. The Caspian deployment extends the company's footprint into a frontier market with considerable untapped renewable potential. While the scale and timeline of any eventual offshore wind development in Azerbaijani waters remain to be determined, the commissioning of this measurement campaign is widely regarded as a foundational step in building the evidence base necessary to attract investment and advance project development in the region.