Author: Lara Chatinian

Yerevan Municipality and the European Union are implementing a joint renewable energy programme called the European Union for Yerevan. Solar community.

The aim of the project is to reduce energy consumption and, accordingly, greenhouse gas emissions – by about 850 tonnes per year. The total budget of the joint programme is 1,250,000 euros.

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The following will take place during the project:

• installation of solar panels on 90 high-rise residential buildings in Yerevan,

• replacement of all lights in the courtyards of the city with energy-saving lighting systems,

• providing socially disadvantaged families with energy-saving bulbs

Earlier, in 2017, thanks to cooperation with the EU, public transport stops appeared on Yerevan, on which solar panels were installed.

With their help, you can charge mobile phones, tablets and other devices. After installing solar panels, one of the stops was visited by the head of the EU delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Petr Svitalsky. He called it the “EU solar stop.”

“Armenia is rich in sun, and we need to use this natural advantage. The energy sector is a priority in Armenia, therefore the European Union provides it with long-term assistance for the development of energy efficiency at the local, community and state levels.”

The government believes that Armenia has great potential in solar and wind energy and the authorities intend to increase the share of renewable energy.

To this end, five industrial solar stations with a capacity of up to 120 mW will be built in the country.

Now in Armenia there are ten solar stations of different capacities.

Significant investments in renewable energy in Armenia may come from the United Arab Emirates.

The “State Interest Fund” of Armenia and “Masdar” company signed an investment memorandum, according to which the initial investment volume may amount to $500 million.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Avinyan, Masdar intends to build solar and wind station in Armenia, the total capacity of which will reach 500 MW. The government considers these investments to be a major contribution to Armenia’s energy security.

Currently the share of renewable energy in Armenia does not exceed one percent of the total energy produced in the country.

The energy system itself is quite diversified and consists of nuclear, thermal and hydropower sources.

The Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant operates in the country, which produces about 40 percent of electricity. Another 40 percent is accounted for by two large thermal power plants.

Hydropower provides 20 percent of the country’s electricity. These are mainly small hydropower plants, the number of which, according to 2018, was 184.

Armenia was also interested in implementing a joint project with Iran to build a hydroelectric station in Meghri, which would be the largest in the region, but so far it has not been possible to switch to the active phase of implementation.

Experts spoke out again about energy security in Armenia after a major energy accident that happened in July this year, when large-scale problems with electricity supply were registered throughout Armenia.

Metro passengers had to be evacuated in Yerevan after metro cars got stuck in tunnels.

Due to fluctuations in the energy network, there were failures in the work of mobile and Internet connection operators as well.

This situation arose due to problems at the Yerevan TPP and at the fifth power unit of the Hrazdan TPP.

Armenia has held its sixth Business Innovation Forum. This time it took place in the country’s north and was called “My step for the Shirak Province”.

My Step is the slogan by which the Armenian Velvet Revolution came to be known. Today, the current ruling party’s parliamentary faction in parliament also goes by this name.

The goal of the forum is to attract entrepreneurs who are willing to help the Armenian provinces develop economically.

“My step for Shirak Province” was held in the region’s largest city, Gyumri, which is also the second largest city of the country.

 Previously, similar forums have taken place in the Ararat, Lori, Gegharkunik, Syunik, and Tavush regions.

This event gives a chance to young entrepreneurs to pitch their projects to  businessmen and long established companies.

Ordinarily, such forums also feature exhibitions of local products that are typical for each given region.

This year more than 60 companies from the Shirak province have taken part.

The prime minister was given two gifts: a doll crafted in the likeness of him as the leader of the velvet revolution, and a pair of shoes made by a local business.

“I would love to wear these shoes,” he said. “Everything I am wearing now, except the tie, has been made locally. So I will gladly wear shoes made in Gyumri.”

Nikol Pashinyan also looked into how the region’s banking system worked.

More than 300 people took part in the forum. In addition to government members, there were heads of various departments, MPs, foreign ambassadors, heads of large state-owned and private companies, 50 foreign and 150 local businessmen.

The prime minister reiterated that the business forum was a good opportunity to talk about the conceptual approaches of the government’s economic policy a year after the revolution:

“It is important that we have created a new stratum in the Armenian economy – something we’ve called ‘microbusiness’. Starting from January 1, 2020, companies with a turnover of up to 24 million drams [50,000 US dollars] will be exempted from certain taxes. Plus, the tax for these companies’ employees will only be 5,000 drams [10 dollars].”

 After the forum, Nikol Pashinyan took to Facebook:

“At a time when businessmen struggle to find themselves employees, some able-bodied people in the Shirak province scream and shout, demanding humanitarian aid every time they see a ‘man wearing a tie.’”

He listed the benefits that his government provides to various segments of the population, and concluded:

 “Other than that, every family should solve their problems through work. There is plenty of work in Armenia. It is possible to create jobs in Armenia. There is no way to achieve well-being other than through working.

 “By the way, people who have received a solid education fare well in Armenia, and they deserve to do even better. We should encourage our children to pursue competitive education, to work on personal growth, to be self-critical and creative. This is a simple formula for achieving well-being.”