ARMENIA CAN MEET 30-40% OF ITS ENERGY NEEDS WITH OWN ENERGY RESOURCES IN NEXT 15-20 YEARS

Noyan Tapan
Jun 27 2007

YEREVAN, JUNE 27, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia can meet 30-40% of its energy
needs with its own energy resources in the next 15-20 years. The
RA Deputy Minister of Energy Ara Simonian told reporters on June 27
that Armenia’s energy strategical program attaches special importance
to the development of renewable, alternative energy. In particular,
it is important to build small hydropower plants. Small hydropower
plants currently generate 200-230 million kwh of electricity, and
there is potential for constructing 270 small hydropower plants with
the capacity of 600-700 million kwh in the next 15-20 years. Their
construction will ensure 15% of the total energy consumption.

According to A. Simonian, the construction of three big hydropower
plants, namely the Meghri hydropower plant with the capacity of
130-140 megawatts, the Shnogh plant (75 megawatts) and the Loriberd
hydropower plant (60 megawatts) is also of key importance.

The deputy minister said that in terms of using solar energy,
Armenia is considered to be a country with quite a great potential
as compared with the average European one: the average potential of
European countries makes 1,000 kwh per square meter, while in Armenia
this index makes 1,720 kwh.