ARMENIA PLANS TO BUILD 115 SMALL HYDROPOWER PLANTS

/ARKA/
September 4, 2009
YEREVAN

A senior official of the Armenian Ministry of Energy and Natural
Resources told ARKA that some 115 small hydropower plants will be
built in Armenia.

Daniel Stepanian, head of the renewable energy division of the
ministry, said 70 small hydropower plants are already operating and
besides 64 licenses have been granted for construction of new plants.

According to him, apart from that three bigger hydropower plants
will be constructed- the Shnokh plant with 75 megawatt capacity, the
Lori-Berd plant-66 megawatt and the Meghri plant -133 megawatt. He
noted that the government is negotiating a privileged credit from
World Bank for Lori-Berd hydropower plant.

Construction of the Shnokh plant is expected to kick off in 2015. As
for the Meghri power plant it is a joint Armenian-Iranian project to
be built on the border River of Arax. He said the technical-economic
study of the project was over and now the turn is for designers.

He declined to say how much the Meghri power plant may cost saying
it will be possible only after the design is over.

The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources has to study and approve
several projects submitted this year calling for construction of 5
small hydropower plants on Vardenis, Ayrk, Avazan and Getik rivers
in Gegharkunik province, as well as plants on Debed, Arpa Rivers and
on Ger-Ger water reservoir in Vayots Dzor province.

According to official figures, at the beginning of 2009 there were
70 small operating hydropower plants in Armenia with the aggregate
capacity of 89 megawatt; generating annually 300 mln KWH a year. The
bulk of small hydropower plants are in Syunik and Lori provinces.