FRV: Armenia`s growing desire to increase renewable energy sources is a decisive factor

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.