ArmInfo. In the first decade of February names of bidders participating to the international tender procedure on high voltage plants construction for Armenia-Georgia High Voltage Linewill announced. The project is implemented under the funds of KfW German Bank.
According to Hayk Haroutyunyan, the Head of the Energy Infrastructure and Natural Resources Ministry Department of Development and Investments Projects, stated by the press office of the Ministry, the deadline for bids submission in respect to the tendering procedure on power subplants construction is set as February 6, and on high voltage lines - as February 8. As it is known, the project implementation purpose is the unification of electric networks of Armenia and Georgia by building power lines and power substation in Ajrum. The unification should connect the substation in Georgian town of Marneuli, having 50 kVt capacity. In the result in 2019 the volumes of mutual flows of power energy will increase from actual 200 mWt to 350 mWt. In respect to implementation of the first stage of the project an amount of EUR 188 mln will be allocated. The project will continue also at the second stage, and the mutual flows volumes will be increased up oto 700 mWt, and the third - final-stage assumes the increase up to 1050 mWt. This construction will give an option to involve in this power corridor Armenia, Russia, Georgia and Iran.
To remind, Georgia plans to build a 500KV Power Line Marneuli (Georgia) - Ayrum (Armenia) by 2018 as part of the trans-boundary infrastructure development plans,
Business Georgia writes referring to the Georgian Energy Ministry's strategy for 2016-2025. In addition to it, Georgian plans to build a 500KV Power Line Ksani-Stepantsminda-Mozdok within 5 years, and a 400KV Power Line Akhaltsikha (Georgia) - Tortum (Turkey) by 2019. Under its energy strategy, Georgia plans to double its interconnecting mains with the power system of its neighbor-countries within 10 years. In particular, the interconnecting mains will be increased to 700MW, with Russia and Turkey - to 1,400MW, with Azerbaijan it already has power transmission capacities of up to 1,000MW. Under the energy strategy of Georgia, interconnection lines in the territory of Georgia will be developed in the direction from the North to the South (Russia-Armenia-Iran and back) and from the East to the West (from Azerbaijan to Turkey). Georgia imported 86.5mln kWh electric power from Armenia in 2015 (a 41.2-fold growth), and exported 70.9mln kWh electric power to Armenia (down 49.5%).
In the meantime, it should be recalled that Fichtner GmbH & Co. KG, the Armenia-Georgian Power Line project consultant, will prepare a tender package to choose the general contractor of Armenia-Georgia power transmission line project by the end of 2016, Deputy Energy Minister of Armenia Areg Galstyan told ArmInfo yet in April.
According to him, it is planned to implement the project in three phases, the sources of financing of the first two phases are already known. The first two phases are estimated at 188.2mln EUR. To that end, three credit agreements were signed in 2014- 2015. In particular, German KfW Bank issued a 168mln EUR loan for the given purpose, European Investment Bank issued a 10mln EUR loan, and the European Commission is expected to provide a 10mln EUR grant. The first two phases will be implemented simultaneously starting in 2017 and completing by the end of 2018.