ArmInfo. On March 7, the packages with the proposed tariffs of investment companies will be opened in the tender for the construction of the Maslik-1 solar power plant with a capacity of 55 MW. The director of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Fund of Armenia (R2E2), coordinator of the program for constructing the solar station Masrik-1 Armen Melkikyan told journalists on January 31 in the fields of the pre-bid conference.
Answering the question of ArmInfo, he noted that out of 60 announced in the second round of the tender, there were 10 companies that have international recognition and colossal experience in the field of energy, including the Spanish Aksiona, American Contour Global, ACCESS Energy, Canadian SkyPower Global and others. According to Melkikian, these companies have already worked with Armenia in the framework of renewable energy projects. According to preliminary estimates, the cost of the project varies between $ 40- $ 50 million, and the invested funds of investors will be repaid within 20 years. In addition, he noted that within the framework of the conditions proposed by the government, to implement the program, companies can raise funds from financial organizations.
According to Hayk Harutyunyan, Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Armenia, the annual volume of energy produced by the solar station Masrik-1 will be about 80-90 million Kw / h. "The station will provide 1.5% of the total energy produced in Armenia," he said. According to the deputy head of the agency, the main goal of the project is to obtain a record low tariff for the end user.
In particular, Harutyunyan recalled that before the tender, a package of 400 pages was developed, which contains the terms of government assistance, obtaining a license and an agreement for the purchase of electricity. In this regard, he noted that if no one of the companies declared offers lower than average tariffs, the government has the right to stop the tender. And to the winning company, in case she refuses to build the station, serious penalty sanctions will be applied.
During the conference participants will have the opportunity to receive answers to all questions of interest. The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, in turn, will present the preparatory work for the implementation of the program. The meeting was also attended by representatives of international financial institutions, including the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, IFC, Armenian commercial banks, the Public Services Regulatory Commission, and others.