ArmInfo. The situation with small HPPs in Armenia should be settled, Karen Karapetyan, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia stated at the RA Government session on March 9.
According to him, Armenia, paying an importance to the solution of environmental problems and to the investments in the renewable energy, undertakes effective steps on small HPPs operation, setting long term justified rates within mobilization of loan assets and with lower interest rates. Anyway, according to the Minister, due to insufficient regulatory, technical, and institutional regulation small HPPS still make their negative impacts both on the environmental situation and on the long-term development program of the country. In respect to the settlement of the problem Karen Karapetyan instructed the Nature protection Minister Artsvik Minasyan to set in two month terms the clear criteria of environmental impact assessment, to review the peculiarities of river flows, as well as to review the liability for environmental regulations violation.
The Prime Minister also instructed Ashot Manukyan, the Minsiter of Energy Infrustructures and Natural Resources, to develop additional tools of support for small HPPs construction,using the river waters for irrigation and drinking purposes. Besidaes, an instruction was given to study the options for installation of real time based information system .
To mention, this problem has been raised many times by Energy Community of Armenia, which consideres that small HHPs work with essential inobservance of RA regulations. The experts expressed their concerns also regarding the fact that several HPPs could be raised on the same river. It means that river could pass from one pipe to another which endangers its ecological system.
To remind, the implementation of new technical procedures for small HPPs is in progress now in Armenia. That would give an option to improve their operations conditions and will secure the sustainable development of small HPPs.