Energy in Armenia

[Mos]

Re: Energy in Armenia

A country that is self sufficient in both energy and food production is leaps and bounds ahead of those which are not.

especially when a country has to rely on a country like Georgia for a good portion of the economy. More self-sufficiency will also create more jobs, you see so many abandoned Soviet factories these days in Armenia, and people are correct when they say that at least during the Soviet times there were jobs. We need more national projects, manufacturing, and Armenia-made products.

[Armanen]

Re: Energy in Armenia

especially when a country has to rely on a country like Georgia for a good portion of the economy. More self-sufficiency will also create more jobs, you see so many abandoned Soviet factories these days in Armenia, and people are correct when they say that at least during the Soviet times there were jobs. We need more national projects, manufacturing, and Armenia-made products.

That would require breaking up the oligarchic nature of a number of industries in Armenia, and government incentives for businessmen, foreign and domestic, to invest their capital in re starting some of those industries. I think Armenia is moving in that direction, just not quickly enough.

[Mos]

Re: Energy in Armenia

That would require breaking up the oligarchic nature of a number of industries in Armenia, and government incentives for businessmen, foreign and domestic, to invest their capital in re starting some of those industries. I think Armenia is moving in that direction, just not quickly enough.

Yes, breaking that oligarchic nature in the economy is a difficult to do. Georgia, even though they have an idiotic government that has done many stupid things, the one thing that they have done right is the reform in their police system, and substantial tackling of the oligarchic system that used to thrive there much better. They have also improved on tax collection (some say too much). In our country, we are not going to attain these things through revolution, but instead evolution. I believe this is slowly being done with the current government, and it's much better for the country that reforms happen through evolution.

[Tigranakert]

Re: Energy in Armenia

Yes, breaking that oligarchic nature in the economy is a difficult to do. Georgia, even though they have an idiotic government that has done many stupid things, the one thing that they have done right is the reform in their police system, and substantial tackling of the oligarchic system that used to thrive there much better. They have also improved on tax collection (some say too much). In our country, we are not going to attain these things through revolution, but instead evolution. I believe this is slowly being done with the current government, and it's much better for the country that reforms happen through evolution.

It was only possible for Georgia because of the billions of dollars on investment from America. As America doesn't have such an interest in Armenia as they did for Georgia, this will not happen. Plus, the American policy in Georgia failed and dictator Sakashvili will soon fall. Not to mention that the average lives of Georgians did not change significantly, plus they lost Abkhazia and South-Ossetia forever.

[Federate]

Re: Energy in Armenia

Indeed the GDP per capita in Georgia is actually slightly lower than Armenia, despite all these reforms.

[Mos]

Re: Energy in Armenia

It was only possible for Georgia because of the billions of dollars on investment from America. As America doesn't have such an interest in Armenia as they did for Georgia, this will not happen. Plus, the American policy in Georgia failed and dictator Sakashvili will soon fall. Not to mention that the average lives of Georgians did not change significantly, plus they lost Abkhazia and South-Ossetia forever.

That is true, though we get a lot of investment and remittances from our diaspora as well. As I said, Georgia has done a lot of wrong, and in my view their attack on S. Ossetia was much more severe than any supposed reforms they have done. They still have a lot of problems in their media for example, and Saakashvili is looking more like an authoritarian leader. Though in all of this the one element of police reform I see as being rather successful and some of the regulations in the business environment being changed.

[Federate]

Re: Energy in Armenia

Armenia to construct geothermal power plants

July 15, 2011 | 12:22

YEREVAN. - Armenia has launched exploration works to construct geothermal power plants, said head of Renewable Resources and Energy Efficiency Fund Tamara Babayan.

She said three areas Dzhermakhpyur (Syunik region), Qaraqar (Syunik region), and Gridzor (Gegharkunik region) are prospective from this viewpoint. Due to the rapid development of relatively new volcanic processes Armenia is considered one of the most promising areas for geothermal energy development.

According to Babayan, Armenia’s geothermal potential is currently estimated at about 30 megawatts.

It is not great capacity but geothermal energy has several advantages over other types of renewable energy. In particular, the thermal energy of the earth is constant, unlike wind and solar power.

In order to use geothermal energy one should drill at least 1-3 km to reach hot rocks. The exploration works are carried out within World Bank’s GeoFund program, which provided $ 1.5 million. However, construction of geothermal power plants should be made at the expense of private investments. According to Babayan, a number of foreign companies are interested in this program.

http://news.am/eng/news/68035.html

[Federate]

Re: Energy in Armenia

Important findings on Renewable energy in Armenia http://hetq.am/static/content/pdf/Re...ia_9-17-11.pdf

[Federate]

Re: Energy in Armenia

[Artashes]

ARMENIANS FIGHT URANIUM MINE PLANS
Gayane Mkrtchyan

Institute for War and Peace Reporting IWPR
July 13 2010
UK

Residents of southern region say life will be untenable if mining
goes ahead.

Residents of Armenia's southernmost region are threatening to block
a major highway if the government presses ahead with uranium ore
prospecting in the area.

The hills around Lernadzor, 340 kilometres south of the capital
Yerevan in the Syunik region, bordering on Iran, have been seen as
a potentially rich source of radioactive ore since initial surveys
were done in Soviet times.

Exploration work is expected to continue until 2014, despite the fears
of people living here that the drilling and any subsequent mining
will contaminate ground water and pose a serious risk to human health.

"We will block the sole road that connects Armenia to Iran," said
Khosrov Harutyunyan, who leads one of several community groups that
recently appealed to the government to halt the work. "We will lie
down on the asphalt and we won't allow it to continue.

"We are the ones who live in this region, and it is we who will have
to suffer the consequences of this uranium," he said.

The threat to blockade the highway is significant as it is one of
only two land routes out of the country, because of Armenia's ongoing
standoff with neighbouring Azerbaijan. The road south through Syunik
to Iran is seen as a strategic lifeline at a time when the Armenian
economy is already very weak.

Environmentalists and local community members say they are prepared
to take this drastic measure because the government is not taking
their concerns seriously.

"They might at least asked the residents of Lernadzor their opinion...

It's our lives that are being put at risk," complained Rafik Petrosyan,
a local resident.

Community groups have held a number of meeting in Kapan, the regional
centre, and last week sent a joint statement to the president,
parliament and cabinet to voice their concerns. A petition calling
for a halt to exploration has so far gathered around 7,000 signatures.

"Any informed person will realise that you can't live here if there's
uranium mining going on, because it will put your own life and that
of future generations at risk," said Vladik Martirosyan, the head of
Khustup, an environmental group in Kapan.

Armenia has few other natural resources, and the authorities sees the
possibility of exporting uranium to states with nuclear industries as
a valuable opportunity, for geopolitical as well as economic reasons.

"Uranium is a good source of income as it's the only natural resource
whose price has gone up twenty-fold in the last few years," Energy
and Natural Resources Minister Armen Movsisyan said.

Armenia has one nuclear power station, but any ore extracted around
Lernadzor will go to Russia for enrichment. The exploration work
is being carried out by the Armenian-Russian Geological Company,
a joint venture between the government and the Russian state-owned
nuclear energy company Rosatom.

Movsisyan insisted that were mining to go ahead, modern technology
would eliminate safety risks, while radiation would only be an issue
at the enrichment stage in Russia.

He said the initial exploration project posed no dangers, and accused
the media and community groups of overreacting.

"At the moment all that's being done is a survey of the area," he
said. "First we have to assess whether there's evidence of uranium
ore deposits in the area, and then we'll need to do prospecting to
find out whether the uranium is actually there."

Hakob Sanasaryan, a prominent Green activist in Armenia, argues that
Armenia is too small to accommodate a uranium mining industry.

"It would be an ecological disaster in a country that covers an area
of only 29,000 to 30,000 square kilometres. You can't open up all
the deposits in such a small country," he said.

In Syunik region, Martirosyan said he hoped the dispute would be
resolved without residents having to carry out their threat, but
warned, "If they don't take our opinion into account, if they go
against our will, then we will cut the road."

Gayane Mkrtchyan is a correspondent for the online publication
ArmeniaNow.

I'm very worried about this.
Here in Alaska they( deep pockets) are trying to open two new mines(super mines) and both mines are being hotly contested by enviremenalists.
I looked into the controversy and found this out. The (open pit ) method that is favored by the (narrow minded/greed ridden) developers(it's the cheapest way) is a death knoll.
Rarely have any developers done the appropriate amount of dust control(it's expensive) to make these mines environemenly considerate.
The dust ends up permeating surrounding area.
You cannot believe how many recognized toxic--- TOXIC--- sights there are in the USA.
It is virtually impossible to remove the dust without spending billions.
The developers always say they are going to use the latest and best technology to maintain environemental
Integrity and then only do a superficial effort( for public consumption ).
In my opinion non of the big moneyed developers give a flying rats as$ about the environement, or lives of those who live round about. The only important thing to the devopers is profit( theirs, not ours).
One would be hard pressed to find any mine of size in the USA that has not caused extensive environmental havoc.
This is both verifiable and well documented.
I'm troubled.
Artashes

I'm very worried about this.
Here in Alaska they( deep pockets) are trying to open two new mines(super mines) and both mines are being hotly contested by enviremenalists.
I looked into the controversy and found this out. The (open pit ) method that is favored by the (narrow minded/greed ridden) developers(it's the cheapest way) is a death knoll.
Rarely have any developers done the appropriate amount of dust control(it's expensive) to make these mines environemenly considerate.
The dust ends up permeating surrounding area.
You cannot believe how many recognized toxic--- TOXIC--- sights there are in the USA.
It is virtually impossible to remove the dust without spending billions.
The developers always say they are going to use the latest and best technology to maintain environemental
Integrity and then only do a superficial effort( for public consumption ).
In my opinion non of the big moneyed developers give a flying rats as$ about the environement, or lives of those who live round about. The only important thing to the devopers is profit( theirs, not ours).
One would be hard pressed to find any mine of size in the USA that has not caused extensive environmental havoc.
This is both verifiable and well documented.
I'm troubled.
Artashes

To clarify appoint ; when I said said above that it was virtually impossible to clean the toxic invironement without spending billions meant to say: even if you send billions and billions you will not , I repeat, NOT be able to bring the environment back to 90 percent of its original condition.
I'm very concerned.
Artashes

Sorry, still not clear if I made certain point.
Even if one spends billions and billions and billions of dollars you would be hard ( really hard ) pressed to clean close to 10
Percent of damage done. It's virtually --- permenent--- .
Artashes

The things said above (I think) are a real and valid concern worthy of all concerned Armenians.
A conscience awareness and vigilance is in order with rest of --- high--- priority vigilance.
Artashes

Also interestingly enough, watch this dynamic---
Just as the opposition to the truth has been able to obfuscate the obviouse(the AG) so here in America they utilize the same technics to obfuscate the obviouse terrible mining industry record and conduct.
I was close at hand for the giant "Valdese,Alaska oil spill in Prince William sound Alaska.
Oil company spent billions(forced) and declared : job well done , see folks we really care.
Anyone can go to Prince William Sound today(5/20/12) and pick up any rock and find underneath thick gooy tar like stuff.
Prince William Sound ,Alaska has been poisoned and the reprocess ions thereof are becoming more and more apparent as the days,months,and years come to pass.
Baboons and heartless simi hominoids are not the only mortal threat we are facing.
Artashes

Although crud oil and dust are two different mediums they have a commonality in this wise: they both disburse over large areas and effect virtually total coverage. Even getting into the smallest cavities. They both thn release varying amounts of toxins into the environement 24/7 from then on.
artashes