RA Prime Minister: It is necessary to understand and assess the steps  of Armenian government to develop energy sector

ArmInfo. In the modern world  tendencies of energy transformation are observed and it is necessary  to clearly understand and assess the steps of the Armenian government  in the development of this sphere. This was discussed at the meeting  dedicated to the development prospects of the Armenian energy and  current programs, Prime Minister of the Republic of Abkhazia Nikol  Pashinyan stated.

 According to him, according  to the press service of the government, it is difficult to  overestimate the role and significance of the energy system for the  country's economy. But it is also important, Pashinyan continued, to  understand the processes taking place on the international energy  market so that the domestic power system is balanced, from a  strategic point of view corresponded to modern criteria.

The Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources of the  Republic of Armenia Artur Grigoryan reported that the works on the  implementation of the program for the extension of the lifetime of  the second power unit of the Armenian nuclear power plant are being  carried out in accordance with the established schedule without  breaking the deadlines. In addition, the minister continued, in  August of this year, scheduled preventive maintenance will finish at  the station, and the second unit of the nuclear power plant will be  put into operation. The meeting underscored the importance of further  development of nuclear energy, taking into account the need for  consistent work to improve the level of safety, as well as issues  related to the maintenance and further processing of spent nuclear  fuel.  The minister also presented the process of implementing the  project for the construction of the third Iran- Armenia power line,  the prospects for the development of renewable energy, the current  situation in the field of hydropower and possible programs. It was  noted that, especially in the field of solar energy, there are  positive developments, a number of investors submitted applications  for the implementation of investment programs. The competition for  the construction of a solar power plant and Masrik-1 with a capacity  of 55 MW has been completed. The lowest tariff from the future solar  generation facility was presented by the international consortium of  the Netherlands company Fotowatio Renewable Ventures B.V and the  Spanish FSL Solar S.L., which is recognized as the winner of the  contest. The minister stressed that representatives of these  companies will visit Armenia in the near future to sign an agreement  on the construction of a solar power plant.

The Prime Minister welcomed successive steps to develop renewable  energy, touched on hydropower, adding that the program should exclude  a situation in which the opinion of community residents is not taken  into account. "If this is a good project, you need to convince  people, the opinion of the communities should be the determining  factor in this issue, and this should concern not only the energy  sector, but also any project," said Nikol Pashinyan, having  commissioned to inventory all the doubtful, problematic obligations  and take steps towards their settlement.