The largest solar power plant launched in Armenia

ArmInfo. In Armenian Talin,  Aragatsotn district on November 7, the largest in Armenia solar power  plant with a capacity of 1 MW. The project was implemented thanks to  a group of investors (Eduard Marutyan, Araik Karapetyan, Zaven  Sargsyan and Hayk Chobanyan) and co- financed under the "Renewable  Energy Promotion" program by the German bank KfW jointly with the  German-Armenian Fund (GAF) through "Conversbank" JSC.

"After 5-6  years, while maintaining the current tariffs, the total production of  solar power plants in the country will approach 1 GW per year," said  Hayk Chobanyan, general director of Arpi Solar Company, the plant  construction contractor.

According to Chobanyan, even on a cloudy day the station generates  about 25% of the energy from the installed capacity. The advantages  of the natural and climatic conditions of Armenia are obvious, he  noted.  The solar power plant will increase the country's energy  security, reducing its dependence on hydrocarbon raw materials. Each  year of operation of the station will allow Armenia to refuse cutting  25 thousand trees.

The volume of investments invested in the project amounted to $ 1  million. The power plant covers an area of 1,800 square meters, and  its nominal capacity reaches 1 MW, which is enough to provide  electricity to 400 families. This, in turn, will meet the needs of  almost half the population of the city of Talin. The park consists of  3,700 polycrystalline solar cells that convert solar radiation into  direct current electricity. After that, it enters 14 inverters, which  convert it into alternating current. With the help of a transformer  substation, the voltage is brought to the level necessary for  transmission of electricity to a single network.  The project, as  stressed by Hayk Chobanyan, was implemented in a very short time - up  to one month: the start was given on October 18 and it took 20 days  to conduct engineering work.

According to the head of the contractor company, the investment  potential of Armenia's solar energy is quite large provided that the  current tariff for electricity generated by solar power plants is  maintained (at present, the tariff including VAT for high-voltage  networks is 51 drams). Thanks to this, as he noted, soon will be  announced the start of new power plants in 1 MW. In addition, in the  near future it is planned to implement the largest project in the  Gegharkunik area of Armenia, the solar power plant Masrik, with a  capacity of 55 MW. The company "Arpi Solar" is already announcing its  participation in the construction of a similar station in the Sevan  swimming pool.

According to the investment program approved by the government of the  country, it is planned to build solar stations in Armenia at 6 sites  with a total installed capacity of up to 110 MW. At the first stage,  a site near the "Masrik" community was chosen, where a solar station  with a capacity of 55 MW would be built.  The total cost of the  program for the construction of solar power plants in Armenia is $  129 million. Of the six surveyed regions, the Spanish consulting  company Aries Engineering has already submitted feasibility studies.  They relate to the localities of Masrik in Gegharkunik Marz and  Dashtadem in Aragatsotn Marz, studies on the remaining four  localities continue. One of the main conditions of the contest will  be the tariff offered by investors. The advantage will be the company  that offers the minimum tariff. The climate investment fund for the  development of alternative energy provided Armenia $ 28 million, of  which $ 2 million - a grant and $ 26 million - a loan. The loan terms  are soft - 0.25% per annum with a maturity of 40 years and a grace  period for payments in the first 20 years. Grant to study the  localities, develop a feasibility study for the project, calculated  at a station of 100-120 MW capacity.