Construction of Armenia-Georgia Power Transmission Line to launch in 2017

ArmInfo. Construction of  Armenia-Georgia Power Transmission Line will launch in 2017, Deputy  Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources of Armenia  Hayk Harutyunyan stated at the Facebook press conference summing up  the results of 2016.  Due to program implementation the amount of  mutual flows of electricity will be increased to 350 MW on the first  stage and to 700MW on the second stage. Construction of the third  Iran-Armenia power transmission line has already launched, due to  which mutual interflows of electricity will be increased  several-fold. Due to new energy corridor Armenia will be able to  increase amounts of export of electricity 3-fold. To note,  Iran-Armenia transmission line construction project will be aligned  with the program of constructing Armenia-Georgia line, which will  allow creating a common energy corridor. 

The project envisages installation of 722 electric poles. Almost all  the sections through which the power transmission line will be laid  have already been bought out. The equipment imported to Armenia has  already been tested. Armenia intends to create a regional electric  power market with its partners in the region. The construction of  Iran- Armenia   and Armenia-Georgia high voltage power transmission  lines will create all the necessary prerequisites for that. 

Both projects will be implemented by the end of 2019. At the same  time, Georgia is negotiating with Russia on construction of a new  500KV power transmission line and substations, which will enable not  only reciprocal cross-flows of electric power, but also commercial  deals. At the moment, a coordination group at the level of deputy  ministers of the four countries is actively working to launch the  projects. By late 2019 the 1 thsd MW North-South energy corridor will  operate at full capacity. He stressed that Armenia will both  economically and politically benefit even from electric power  transit.  

To note, SUNIR (Iran) has received official permit to build  Iran-Armenia power transmission line. The construction was launched  in 2012, however because of sanctions against Iran and lack of  necessary financial funds construction was delayed. As of today  construction work amounted to $1.43 mln has been done. And only from  September 2015 construction restarted. Equipment to the value of  $1.337 mln was imported including voltage transformers. The total  cost of the project is 107.9 mln EUR. The Iranian Bank will provide  77% of the amount, with the remaining 23% to be provided by the  general contractor - SUNIR. To recall, the Armenian Ministry of  Energy and Natural Resources and the Export Development Bank of Iran  signed the agreement on construction of 400KV Iran-Armenia power  transmission line in August 2015. The total length will be 279km. The  line will be laid from Meghri to Hrazdan, where a 440/220KV  substation will be built 10 km away from the Hrazdan TPP. From the  latter a new 400KV power transmission line will be laid to Georgia  under another project (at the expense of a KfW loan with co-  financing of EIB and the EU. The total financing will be 105.2 mln  EUR).