GREG REALTY TO PREPARE 4TH GEORGIA-ARMENIA POWER LINE

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Energy Newswire
June 28, 2006 Wednesday 12:36 PM MSK

The U.S. company Greg Realty has won a tender to prepare a project for
the construction of a fourth power line between Armenia and Georgia,
Levon Vardanian, director of the development and PR department at
the Armenian Energy Ministry, told Interfax.

He said that the Georgian Energy Ministry called the tender. The
project work, which will be financed by the Georgian side, should be
completed by the end of 2006.

The 400 kilo-volt line will be the only power line capable of ensuring
the parallel work of the energy systems of both countries.

Vardanian said that the cost of the project and sources of financing
are still under discussion. Initially it was planned to complete
construction by the end of 2006, but work on the project dragged out,
he said.

Armenia and Georgia are currently connected by three power lines:
two 110 kilo-volts and one 220 kilo-volts.

Armenian Energy Minister Armen Movsisian told journalists earlier
that after the construction of the fourth line the capacity between
the two countries would amount to 650 megawatts.