Energy in Armenia

[Vrej1915]

Re: Energy in Armenia

I have not seen this thread before.
This thread about Sevan is related to renewable energy/hydro quastion:

http://forum.hyeclub.com/showthread.php/19713-Sevan/page5

[Vrej1915]

Re: Energy in Armenia

Construction of Meghri City Hydro Power Plant and third Armenia-Iran
high-voltage electricity line to start soon

http://www.yerkirmedia.am/?act=news&lan=en&id=7549

15:54 . 02/06


Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on Saturday received the Iranian
President's special envoy, Energy Minister Majid Namjoo, who presented
to Sargsyan Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's invitation to
attend the Non-Aligned Movement summit to be held in Tehran.

President Sargsyan welcomed Minister Namjoo's visit to Armenia and
stressed that Armenia attaches importance to the mutually beneficial
cooperation with reliable neighbor and good friend, Iran.

According to official information, welcoming the growth in the volume
of goods turnover between Armenia and Iran and pointing to the
potential to increase this volume, the interlocutors expressed hope
that the implementation of programs - specifically in the energy
sector - will contribute to augmenting this volume.

In his turn, the Iranian Energy Minister informed that the
construction of Armenia's Meghri City Hydro Power Plant and of the
third Armenia-Iran high-voltage electricity line will soon commence.

Also, Serzh Sargsyan and Majid Namjoo highly assessed the activities
of the Armenian-Iranian Intergovernmental Commission, whose regular
session is scheduled to take place in Armenia's capital, Yerevan, in
the coming days.

[Vrej1915]

Re: Energy in Armenia

The Meghri Dam (also known as the Aras Dam or Aras Watershed Dam) is a planned hydroelectric dam on the Aras River near Armenia's southern town of Meghri on the Armenia–Iran border.

The joint Iranian–Armenia project was proposed in 1990s and was discussed between Iranian and Armenian authorities.[1][2] Intergovernmental agreements between Armenia and Iran were signed in 2007 and 2008. On 14 April 2009, energy ministries of Armenia and Iran signed a memorandum on financing construction of the Meghri power station of Armenian side.[3] The dam and power stations construction contract was signed on 16 October 2010 with Farab Sepasad Company.[3][4]

The complex will consists of two 130 MW hydroelectric power stations — Ghare Chiler (also transcribed Gharachilar or Karachinar) on the Iranian side and Meghri on Armenia side.[5][6] Due to the sufficient difference in elevation and the presence of Aras Dam on the upstream, the power stations will be run-of-river type. Both power stations will have two turbines with a capacity of 65 MW each.[7]

The basic studies were carried out by Arm-Hydroenergo-Project Company and Mahab-E-Qods Consulting Engineers Company in 1999.[1] The Meghri station will be operated by Iran for 15 years after which it will be returned to Armenia free of charge.[8]

The project is expected to cost US$400 million

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meghri_Dam

[Vrej1915]

Re: Energy in Armenia

http://www.iranianporochista.com/en/projects/46/Further-operation-of-the-dam-project-KHODA-AFARIN/default.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khoda_Afarin_Dam

This dam is between Iran and NKR.

[Vrej1915]

Re: Energy in Armenia

Armenia, Iran Set New Date For Power Plant Construction
Emil Danielyan
Հրապարակված է՝ 04.06.2012

http://www.armenialiberty.org/content/article/24603572.html

After years of delay, Armenia and Iran will finally start building this August a major hydroelectric plant on a fast-flowing river marking their border, officials said on Monday.

Official Armenian and Iranian sources said an agreement to that effect was reached during Iranian Energy Minister Majid Namjou’s weekend visit to Yerevan.

Namjou met with President Serzh Sarkisian and Energy and Natural Resources Minister Armen Movsisian for talks reportedly focusing on Armenian-Iranian energy projects that have fallen behind schedule. Sarkisian’s press office quoted Namjou as saying that work on the hydroelectric plant will start “soon.”

A spokeswoman for the Armenian Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Lusine Harutiunian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) that Namjou and Movsisian agreed to kick off the project’s implementation in August.

Citing unnamed Iranian government sources, the Tehran-based Press TV reported on Monday a more precise date for the project launch: August 22. It said the construction work will get underway simultaneously on both banks of the Arax river that separates Armenia and Iran.


Armenia - President Serzh Sarkisian (R) meets with Iran's Energy Minister Majid Namjou in Yerevan, 2Jun2012.
The Armenian and Iranian governments agreed, in principle, to build the 140-megawatt facility about a decade ago and have since been working out practical modalities of the project estimated to cost $350 million.

Movsisian announced in July 2010 the impending start of its construction by Iranian firms. He said the Armenian government will pay for its 50 percent share in the project with future electricity supplies to the Islamic Republic. The minister said late last year that the power plant’s construction has still not begun because of “situations in Iran.”

Also having fallen behind schedule are long-standing plans by Yerevan and Tehran to build a third high-voltage transmission line connecting the two countries’ power grids and a pipeline to ship Iranian fuel to Armenia. Iran’s President Mahmud Ahmadinejad and Sarkisian pledged to speed up the implementation of all three projects when they met in Yerevan last December.

According to the Armenian presidential press office, Sarkisian and Namjou agreed that this will give a further “considerable” boost to Armenian-Iranian trade, which rose by 13.6 percent to $323.4 million last year. The Armenian leader was reported to describe Iran as his country’s “reliable neighbor and good friend.”

Namjou also conveyed to Sarkisian Ahmadinejad’s invitation to take part in a summit of the Non-Alignment Movement nations scheduled to place in Tehran in late August.

[Mher]

Re: Energy in Armenia

Georgian TPP to be built in Vanadzor

On August 21-22, Georgia’s Prime Minister, Irakli Garibashvili, was on an official visit to Armenia (in the photo, from the left). After the visit, it became clear that an agreement was signed on building a thermal power plant in Vanadzor. TPP will be built by Georgian Anaklia IEP Holding. As reported by the Armenian community website in Georgia, the owner of this company, Teimuraz Karchava, at the press conference on August 26, in Tbilisi, has said, “During the construction and after operation of the TPP, the Armenian Government exempts the Georgian company from paying taxes for five years. Moreover, the whole electricity consumed for the construction of plant will be exported to Georgia.”

To the question of Georgian journalists “why this plant is being built in Armenia and not in Georgia,” Teimuraz Karchava responded as follows, “For implementing construction in Anaklia seaport and other projects, we need 400 megawatts of electricity. Today, the Georgian energy system does not have this amount of free electricity. It requires 18 months for the operation of the Armenian TPP, whereas it requires 8 years for the construction and operation of a hydropower plant in Georgia. Building a hydro power station in Armenia, 18 months later, we would already have the required electricity for us.”

It is written in Georgia’s Armenian community website, “Building a Georgian TPP in the territory of Armenia has become an active topic of discussion for the Georgian media, and it is impossible not to comment on the question of “Newpost” daily addressed to the reader, “whether the construction of the hydro-power plant to be built in Armenia would not generate tension in relations between Georgia and Azerbaijan.” Surely, it would. In the event of implementation of the anti-Azerbaijani project by Georgia, Azerbaijan will have to introduce a whole series of sanctions against Georgia. The transfer of oil and gas Turkey through Georgia will be terminated. The construction of a railway connecting Azerbaijan and Turkey will be terminated. Azerbaijan will close the border with Georgia and thus the country will appear is a strict blockade. The entire Azerbaijani small and large capital and businesses bringing hundreds of millions of dollars revenue per annum to Azerbaijani treasury will be withdrawn from Georgia. In the face of introduced sanctions against Georgia by Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan and Turkey will find a new, alternative way to carry out so vital for them mutual communication.”

With regard to these pessimistic and sarcastic remarks, “Aravot” asked the Regional Research Center researcher, also analyst, Johnny Melikyan, whether escalation of the Armenian-Georgian economic relations could truly become an opportunity for counteractions in Azerbaijan, and whether generated from the fear of this counteractions, the planned and current Armenian-Georgian projects may fail or be terminated. According to the analyst, “After the change of power in 2012, a positive move in Armenian-Georgian relations has been observed. This trend is directly related to Bidzina Ivanishvili’s giving a new impetus to Georgian-Russian relations and starting a dialogue. Georgia’s leadership views the relations with neighboring countries, purely from the prospect of national interests of the state.

Hence, understanding how Georgian economy is dependent from Turkish and Azerbaijani investments, trade and energy cooperation, the Georgian government is trying to balance these relations with strengthening Russian-Georgian and Armenian-Georgian relations. In this event, on one hand, participating in Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish tripartite partnership format, the bases of which were still laid in Saakashvili’s presidency, in 2012, by the foreign ministers of the three countries in Trabzon, Georgia at the same time is trying to deepen economic relations with Russia and Armenia, especially in the last 8 months.

With regard to the construction of TPP in Vanadzor by Georgian Anaklia IEP Holding and 600 million US dollar investment, then I must say that despite the fact that Georgia receives natural gas from Azerbaijan, and in the end a decision has been made to implement the project in Armenia thanks to the gas and labor force provided by Armenia, which shows the development of good neighborly relations between Georgia and Armenia.

Talking about the development of relations and its impact on Georgian-Azerbaijani or Georgian-Turkish relations, I must say that despite the fact that our neighbors would be jealous to it, however, it will not leave any impact both on the Armenian-Georgian relations, nor there will be a review or termination of Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish projects: the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, Baku-Tbilisi-Akhalkalaki-Kars railway. Even our neighboring countries declare that deepening of relations is expected in Georgian-Azeri-Turkish trilateral partnership format, including military partnership. But, eventually, no matter the Georgian relations be with the neighbors, they will be within the national interests: economic development and the status of a transit country work for the benefit of this country.”

Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2014/09/03/166762/

[Mher]

Re: Energy in Armenia

Armenian PM: Electricity Hike To Be Paid By Power Station Sale

By RFE/RL's Armenian Service
August 03, 2015

The Armenian government says it will use money from the sale of one of the country's largest power-generating facilities to subsidize a new increase in the price of electricity.

Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian said a 16 percent rise in electricity prices effective on August 1 will be offset by the recent sale of the Vorotan Hydro Cascade, which was sold in May to the private U.S. energy company ContourGlobal for $180 million.

Abrahamian made his comments during a visit to the northwestern city of Gyumri on August 1.

After nearly two weeks of large-scale protests in Yerevan and other cities about the announced hike in electricity prices, President Serzh Sarkisian said in late June that the government would pay the rate hike itself until an international audit of the Russian-owned Electric Networks of Armenia, which runs Armenia's power grid, was completed.

Sarkisian said the public would start paying the 16 percent increase only if the audit confirmed that the rise was justifiable.

Rise Armenia, one of the civil groups campaigning against the electricity price hikes, held smaller-scale street protests last week and demanded the government reveal the source of funding for the subsidy.

http://www.rferl.org/content/armenia-pm-power-station-sale-will-pay-for-price-hike/27166938.html

[Mher]

Re: Energy in Armenia

Armenian Nuclear Plant ‘Absolutely Safe,’ Says German Scientist


Armenia’s Metsamor nuclear power station remains “absolutely safe” just as it nears the end of its 30-year design life span, the German chairman of a multinational watchdog monitoring its operations insisted on Tuesday.

“The Armenian plant is absolutely safe. It is safe when compared with the safety of other plants of its kind,” Adolf Birkhofer told reporters after a regular meeting in Yerevan of the Nuclear Energy Safety Council advising President Serzh Sarkisian.

Birkhofer argued that the Soviet-built plant has undergone numerous safety upgrades and repairs ever since being reactivated in 1995 over strong Western objections. The United States and the European Union still consider it inherently unsafe.

The council headed by Birkhofer comprises 12 mostly foreign nuclear experts. One of them is an American and six others from European Union member states.

The main focus of the advisory body’s meeting was the Armenian authorities’ ongoing efforts to extend the life of Metsamor’s sole functioning reactor by 10 years, until 2026. The reactor generating more than one-third of Armenia’s electricity was originally due to be shut down in 2016.

Yerevan decided to delay its decommissioning after failing to attract billions of dollars in funding needed for its ambitious plans to replace the plant with a new and more modern facility. It secured last year a $270 million Russian government loan for that purpose. The loan is due to be mainly spent on the purchase of Russian nuclear equipment and additional safety measures that will be taken at Metsamor.

Vahram Petrosian, the secretary of Birkhofer’s council, said that the modernization will make Metsamor safe enough to remain operational even after 2026. He argued that some nuclear plants in Russia, Ukraine and Finland have had their operations extended by up to 30 years.

“I don’t think that [Metsamor’s life will be extended] by another 20 years,” Petrosian told the press. “But I can certainly speak of [an extra] 5 years.”

The remarks might be an indication that the Armenian government does not expect to raise in the coming years an estimated $4 billion needed for building a new nuclear plant. Sarkisian announced the impending launch of its construction shortly after becoming president in 2008. He did not mention the new plant in a speech delivered at the latest meeting of the Nuclear Energy Safety Council.

An energy security strategy unveiled by the government in July envisages Armenia’s continued heavy reliance on atomic energy, which is much cheaper than energy generated by its gas-powered plants. The 20-year plan was drawn up with financial and technical assistance provided by the United States.

http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/27329846.html

[Mher]

Re: Energy in Armenia

More Western Investors ‘Interested’ In Armenian Energy Sector

Emil Danielyan
Հրապարակված է՝ 19.11.2015

Two Europe-based companies have expressed readiness to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in the construction of new thermal power plants in Armenia, according to the Armenian government.

Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian’s cabinet approved on Thursday a memorandum of understanding with one of them, the Italian group Renco. The latter is to conduct a four-month feasibility study on a 234-megawatt plant which it is considering building in Yerevan.

Should Renco decide to go ahead with the $215 million project the government will provide it with a plot of land adjacent to an existing Yerevan power plant. The 242-megawatt gas-fired facility was completely reconstructed in 2010 with a $247 million loan provided by Japan’s government.

According to a government statement, Abrahamian stressed the importance of the would-be project for Armenia’s energy security. He argued that the country would boost its power generating capacity without increasing its foreign debt.

Renco has done business in Armenia for more than a decade. It has not been involved in the local energy sector, however, investing instead in luxury housing and hotels. But the company has built, installed or operated power generation and distribution facilities in other parts of the world.

The government gave the green light to the possible deal with Renco less than a week after Abrahamian met with the visiting chief executive of Grange Holdings, a little-known company based in Britain. Abrahamian’s press office cited Assad Sheikh as saying that the company is “prepared to invest some $400 million in Armenia’s energy sector and thermal energy in particular.”

The Armenian premier assured Sheikh that his government would welcome such a project. There was no word on possible dates for its implementation.

Earlier this year, energy experts from the World Bank warned in a report that Armenia could face a shortage of electricity unless it builds a new and large power plant by 2026, the anticipated date of the decommissioning of the nuclear station at Metsamor.

With a capacity of 400 megawatts, Metsamor’s sole functioning reactor accounts for around 40 percent of electricity generated in the country annually. Its 30-year design life span ends in 2016. The government plans to modernize the Soviet-era plant and keep it operational for at least 10 more years.

The two possible investments revealed by the government would also further diversify foreign ownership of Armenian energy enterprises. The sector is currently is dominated by the Russian energy giants Gazprom and Inter RAO.

In May this year, the U.S. company ContourGlobal completed a $180 million acquisition ofArmenia’s largest hydroelectric complex. It thus became the first Western firm to gain major assets in the Armenian energy sector. The three plants making up the Vorotan Hydropower Cascade have a combined capacity of over 400 megawatts.

http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/27375674.html