ARMENIAN HAS NOT YET AGREED WITH IRAN ON TERMS OF SUPPLY OF IRANIAN GAS FROM LAST SUNDAY
ArmInfo
2008-10-13 11:22:00
ArmInfo. Armenia has not yet agreed with Iran on the terms of supply of
the Iranian gas from the last Sunday, spokeswoman of Armenia’s Ministry
of Energy and Natural Resources Lusine Harutyunyan told ArmInfo.
She said the Iranian party intended to start gas supplies to Armenia
last Sunday, however, it did not happen. "At present, Armenia does
not need the Iranian gas, it receives gas from Russia in a sufficient
volume", the spokeswoman said. She added that Armenia will receive gas
from Iran in case of need, however, she indicated no specific terms of
supplies. Moreover, she said, the building work at the second section
of Iran- Armenia gas pipeline (from Kajaran to Yerevan) is underway
and this section has not been yet commissioned. The information about
start of gas supplies from Iran to Armenia last Sunday was given by
Director of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) Rasul Salmani.
Earlier, Armenia’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Armen
Movsisyan told journalists that Armenia will be technically able
to receive to 2,5 cub m of natural gas from Iran started November,
2008, due to increase of the flow efficiency of the pipeline at
Kajaran-Yerevan section. A. Movsisyan added that the Iranian gas
will be used by Armenia in case of need, which may occur under
force-majeure circumstances because of stoppage or reduction of the
Russian gas supplies to Armenia for any reasons. The minister also
said the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline was built as an alternative to
the northern main pipeline, by which Armenia presently receives gas
from Russia through Georgia’s territory. He added that the Iranian
gas will be used mainly for commercial purposes and for supply to
the Armenian TPPs to exchange for electric energy.
In compliance with the agreement, Iran will supply 1,1 bln cub m
of gas started 2009, and to 2,3 bln cub m of gas per year started
2019. Armenia will pay for gas by electric energy based on 3 kWh per
1 cub m.