INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GEOTHERMAL ENERGY LAUNCHED IN YEREVAN

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Oct 18 2007

YEREVAN, October 18. /ARKA/. International conference focused on
geothermal energy and its development prospects in Armenia launched
on Thursday in Yerevan.

Radik Martirosyan, president of Armenian National Academy of
Sciences, said at the opening ceremony that the event’s aim is to
make Armenian entrepreneurs familiar with international experience
of using geothermal energy.

"Development of alternative energy sources is a quite pressing
problem to Armenia because of own organic energy resources shortage",
Martirosyan said.

French Ambassador to Armenia Serge Smessov stressed the importance
of geothermal energy because of the necessity of alternative energy
sources.

"Development of alternative energy sources is very important to
Armenia, which has no own energy resources", he said.

He said that France has a rich experience in this area, which can be
applied also in Armenia.

The ambassador expressed hope that Armenia’s cooperation with French
specialists will enlarge room for developing geothermal energy and
putting all plans into practice.

This two-day conference is organized by Armenian Energy Ministry
along with French Embassy in Armenia.

Participants of the event will discuss international experience and
outline geothermal energy exploitation prospects in Armenia.

Armenia conducted geothermal researches yet in 60s and embarked on
intensive search in 1978.

Hakavan-Zangezur volcano-rich areas are being explored now.

The researches conducted over the period between 1980 and 1988 laid
ground for assumption that magma source may be found here in 1500-
to 2000-meter depth.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress