ArmInfo. Managing Director of the Spanish company FRVs - Fotowatio Renewable Ventures for the Middle East and Africa, Nicolas Fascuel emphasized that Armenia's growing desire to increase renewable energy sources is a decisive factor for the company's entry into the Armenian market.
In his official comments on the occasion of the successful completion of a tender for the construction of a 55 MW solar power station Masrik-1 in Armenia, Fascuel stressed the importance of Armenia in order to expand the company. He said: "Armenia's growing desire to increase renewable energy sources is a decisive factor when it comes to adherence to the country, as it provides numerous opportunities for implementing clean energy projects.
The report says that Masrik-1 will produce energy for 21,400 homes and will annually reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere by about 54,000 tons of CO2. The approximate area of the station will be 100 hectares. Its construction will begin in early 2019, and the first energy will begin to be put on the network before the end of 2020.
Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV), the world's leading developer of renewable energy projects, won a tender for the construction of an industrial-scale solar station with a capacity of 55 MW AC. After this tender, held by the Renewable Resources and Energy Efficiency Fund of Armenia, the company intends to continue its expansion in the region, which, according to FRV, has a high quality potential for the use of solar resources.
The Masrik-1 solar station, located near the cities of Metz-Masrik and Vardenis in the province of Gegharkunik, is part of Armenia's National Plan for the Development of Renewable Energy Sources. The enterprise will have an approximate area of 100 hectares-size in 150 football fields combined. In addition, it will generate enough energy to supply about 21,400 households, while at the same time reducing annually greenhouse gas emissions by about 54,000 tons of CO2, which according to the company's specialists is equivalent to a reduction in the number of cars on the roads of Armenia by more than 20,000 units .
The presence of a solar station, the report says FRV will contribute to the socio-economic development of the region, as the company provides for the creation of 300 jobs at the stage of its construction.
It should be noted that the information on signing an agreement on the construction of the first commercial solar power plant in Armenia was circulated today by the Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources, although the results of the tender became known two weeks ago.
The report notes that an international consortium of two companies - Fotowatio Renewable Ventures B.V and FSL Solar S.L, won the tender. For some reason, the first company is named on the official website of the "Dutch" ministry, although it is based in Madrid and does not have projects in the Netherlands. The company implements projects in Spain, Mexico, Chile, Uruguay, Jordan, Australia and India. The company is also involved in the construction and operation of large wind farms. The second company, which for some reason does not mention FRV in its report, is also Spanish. According to scant open sources, FSL Solar S.L was established in 2007, its capital is 4.8 million euros.
As ArmInfo reported earlier, the consortium offered the lowest tariff from the future solar generating facility, which will equal $ 0.0419 of electricity without VAT or 20.11 drams per 1 kW / h of electricity, which is a record indicator for Armenia's energy system. About their interest in participating in the project earlier said about 70 companies, of which 20 submitted applications for participation in the prequalification tender. Out of this number of companies, 10 have passed to the decisive stage of the competition. As a result of the project, Armenia will receive the most efficient solar power plant in the world, capable of producing 120 million kWh per year electricity. Initially, it was planned that the station will produce 85-90 million kWh, but the introduction of new technologies will increase these volumes.
It is important that the tariff from the station will be competitive. Thus, the tariff for small hydropower facilities in Armenia is 23.8 drams per 1 kW / h of electricity, that is, 20% more expensive. Earlier it was reported that the solar power plant "Masrik-1", will provide 2% of the total energy produced in the republic. The total cost of the program for the construction of solar power stations in Armenia is $ 129 million. According to experts, the construction of Masrik-1 will amount to 55 million euros, but officially, the amount of investments for the construction of the station is not reported.
In total, within the framework of the program it is planned to build solar power stations with capacity up to 110 megawatts in various regions of Armenia. Of the 6 surveyed areas in two, the Spanish consulting company Aries Engineering has already submitted feasibility studies. They concern Masrik (Masrik-2) in Gegharkunik region and Dashtadem in the Aragatsotn region, investigations on the remaining four localities continue.
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