Armenian Government confirmed order for calculating additional income in the companies of the energy system by increasing water supply from Lake Sevan

ArmInfo. Amenian Government on August 17 approved the order for carculating additional income arising in the companies of power system from the sale of electricity produced at the expense of water produced in Lake Sevan in 2017, exceeding 170 million cubic meters. M., and gave permission to Ministry of Energy Infrastructure and Natural Resources to open an off-budget account.

According to the Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources of Armenia Ashot Manukyan, in July the Armenian Government received the "good" of the parliament to increase the volume of water release from Lake Sevan by 100 million cubic meters. Up to 270 million as a result of which additional revenues will be generated in energy companies. "The proposed procedure determines the formula for calculating the specified income and the mechanisms of expenditure,"

he explained. The project also stipulates that a special treasury account will be opened in the Ministry of Energy, where all the income of the companies of the sphere will be credited (minus VAT).

In justification to the resolution, it is noted that the decision regulates the relations related to the calculation and procedure for the payment of income arising from the difference in income and expenses incurred by ZAO International Energy Corporation and CJSC Electric Networks of Armenia from the sale of electricity produced by the volume produced from Lake Sevan, which exceeds 170 million cubic meters. On July 17, National Assembly of Armenia approved the amendments to the program "On the restoration, conservation, reproduction and use of the Lake Sevan ecosystem," according to which the volume of water releases from Lake Sevan from 170 million cubic meters was increased in 2017. Up to 270 million cubic meters. The reason for the increase in water releases was the fact that in the current year the occupancy of the Aparan and Azat reservoirs was 17 million cubic meters less than in the previous year, while the Hrazdan River is less than 40 million cubic meters full. In addition, the Akhuryanskoye reservoir was filled with 105 million cubic meters less. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Nature Protection of Armenia earlier opposed the proposal to increase the water intake from Sevan from the previously approved rate of 170 million cubic meters. M to 1 billion cubic meters. M in the next 3 years, for the development of hydropower and agriculture. As the head of the department Artsvik Minasyan stated, from Lake Sevan it is impossible to produce more water, even for energy purposes. In addition, according to experts, a decrease in the water level in Sevan will lead to irreversible consequences. Bardukh Gabrielyan, director of the Scientific Center for Animal Husbandry and Hydroecology at the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, said this will lead to increased water logging in the lake.