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Tehran Times , Iran
Sept 18 2010
Armenia, Iran set to start power plant construction
Iran will start building two major hydro-electric stations on their
border in the coming weeks and possibly days, Armenian Energy Minister
Armen Movsisian announced on Thursday.
Movsisian said he and his Iranian counterpart Majid Namjou will
inaugurate the start of construction work on the Arax River separating
the two countries immediately after signing a relevant agreement in
Yerevan.
The dates of Namjou's upcoming visit to Armenia are still being
`clarified,' he said. Other officials told RFE/RL's Armenian service
that the Iranian energy minister will likely arrive before the end of
this month.
The Armenian government formally approved the agreement and authorized
Movsisian to sign it at a meeting earlier in the day. Prime Minister
Tigran hailed the impending launch of the `important' commercial
project that will give a major boost to Armenian-Iranian commercial
ties.
The agreement envisages that the two power plants will be built on
either side of the Armenian-Iranian border and have a capacity of 130
megawatts each. They both are to be built by an Iranian company,
Farad-Sepasad, in the next five years.
According to Movsisian, Armenia will finance its share of the project,
which he estimated at $323 million, with future electricity supplies
to Iran. `The Iranians will build, exploit the facility (located on
the Armenian side of the border) and recoup their investments with
electricity to be generated there,' he told RFE/RL's Armenian service.
`We need will 15 years to pay back the (Iranian) investments with
electricity supplies,' he said, adding that the plant will then become
property of Armenia.
`This is going to be a cascade (of two hydro-electric stations) whose
first facility will be located in Armenia,' explained Movsisian. `That
is, water will first flow to and be used on the Armenian side and only
then reach to the Iranian plant.'
Energy has been the focal point of Armenian-Iranian economic
cooperation. It gained momentum in late 2008 with the inauguration of
a natural gas pipeline connecting the two countries. Armenia began
receiving modest amounts of Iranian gas through that pipeline in May
last year. The volume of those deliveries is expected to soar in the
next few years.
Movsisian said in July that the planned construction of a third
high-voltage transmission line connecting the Armenian and Iranian
power grids and another Armenian-Iranian fuel pipeline will also get
underway by the end of this year. The minister did not comment on
these projects on Thursday.
(Source: azatutyun.am)
http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=226866
From: A. Papazian
Sept 18 2010
Armenia, Iran set to start power plant construction
Iran will start building two major hydro-electric stations on their
border in the coming weeks and possibly days, Armenian Energy Minister
Armen Movsisian announced on Thursday.
Movsisian said he and his Iranian counterpart Majid Namjou will
inaugurate the start of construction work on the Arax River separating
the two countries immediately after signing a relevant agreement in
Yerevan.
The dates of Namjou's upcoming visit to Armenia are still being
`clarified,' he said. Other officials told RFE/RL's Armenian service
that the Iranian energy minister will likely arrive before the end of
this month.
The Armenian government formally approved the agreement and authorized
Movsisian to sign it at a meeting earlier in the day. Prime Minister
Tigran hailed the impending launch of the `important' commercial
project that will give a major boost to Armenian-Iranian commercial
ties.
The agreement envisages that the two power plants will be built on
either side of the Armenian-Iranian border and have a capacity of 130
megawatts each. They both are to be built by an Iranian company,
Farad-Sepasad, in the next five years.
According to Movsisian, Armenia will finance its share of the project,
which he estimated at $323 million, with future electricity supplies
to Iran. `The Iranians will build, exploit the facility (located on
the Armenian side of the border) and recoup their investments with
electricity to be generated there,' he told RFE/RL's Armenian service.
`We need will 15 years to pay back the (Iranian) investments with
electricity supplies,' he said, adding that the plant will then become
property of Armenia.
`This is going to be a cascade (of two hydro-electric stations) whose
first facility will be located in Armenia,' explained Movsisian. `That
is, water will first flow to and be used on the Armenian side and only
then reach to the Iranian plant.'
Energy has been the focal point of Armenian-Iranian economic
cooperation. It gained momentum in late 2008 with the inauguration of
a natural gas pipeline connecting the two countries. Armenia began
receiving modest amounts of Iranian gas through that pipeline in May
last year. The volume of those deliveries is expected to soar in the
next few years.
Movsisian said in July that the planned construction of a third
high-voltage transmission line connecting the Armenian and Iranian
power grids and another Armenian-Iranian fuel pipeline will also get
underway by the end of this year. The minister did not comment on
these projects on Thursday.
(Source: azatutyun.am)
http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=226866
From: A. Papazian