CZECH REPUBLIC MAY INVEST IN CONSTRUCTION OF ARMENIAN HYDROPOWER PLANTS: PM
ARKA
May 10, 2010
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, May 10, /ARKA/. Czech businessmen may invest in construction
of hydropower plants in Armenia, prime minister Tigran Sarkisian said
Sunday in comments on his last week trip to Prague and his talks with
Czech prime minister Jan Fischer.
He said some Armenian companies building and reconstructing small
hydropower plants in Armenia are already cooperating with Czech
companies. In his words, the fact that Armenia is rich in hydropower
resources is a serious factor for Czech companies wishing to invest
in Armenia.
Armenian hydropower plants produced last year about 2 billion KWh
of electrical power, almost one third of overall 5.8 billion KWh
generated in 2009. Small hydropower plants produced 335 million KWh.
Experts say only one third of Armenia’s hydropower resources are
used currently.
Tigran Sarkisian said also he informed his opposite number in Prague
about Yerevan’s plans to build a new unit for it nuclear power plant
Armenia wants to replace the aging Metsamor nuclear plant by 2017.
With a projected capacity of 1,060 megawatts, the new facility would
be more than twice as powerful as Metsamor’s sole operating reactor
that generates more than 40% of Armenia’s electricity. It will serve
for 60 years and secure European safety level.
The Armenian government has yet to attract funding for the project
which is estimated to cost as much as $5 billion. Construction is
expected to start in 2011. Under a 2003 agreement Armenian nuclear
power plant’s financial flows are managed by Russian Inter RAO UES,
owned by Russian state-run Rosatom corporation. The agreement expires
in 2013.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
