Expert: By 2027, the gas price on the border of Armenia will increase  to $ 299 per 1 thousand cubic meters

ArmInfo. By 2027, the gas price at the border of Armenia will increase to $ 299 per 1 thousand cubic meters. With a similar forecast during the presentation on  November 19 of the development plan of the RA energy system for  2020-2036.  Director at Energy Strategy Center  of Scientific  Research Institute of Energy Vahan Sargsyan said.

According to him, the price increase for imported gas will continue  after 2027. The plan envisages not only an increase in gas prices,  but also the closure of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant by 2027.  Electricity consumption growth will grow by an average of 1.7% per  year. The main drivers of this growth will continue to be the  population (80%), trade (4.4%), agriculture (0.2%), industry (2.2).  It is predicted that until 2028 the losses in the country's  electricity system will be at the level of 8.2% (currently - 11% -  ed.). 

The expert also recalled that from 2021 the Hrazdan TPP will also be  completely decommissioned. In order to compensate for the capacities,  it is envisaged that in 2022 a solar power plant of industrial  importance Masrik-1 with a capacity of 55 MW and a new thermal unit  with a gas turbine unit of Yerevan TPP with a capacity of 250 MW,  built by the Italian Renco company, will be commissioned.  Institutional changes are also planned, the costs of which will  amount to more than $ 40 million by 2036.

Meanwhile, commenting at the request of journalists, the possibility  of increasing the price of Russian gas in the near future, RA Deputy  Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Hakob  Vardanyan noted that even if there are changes in the price of gas  from January 1, 2020, this will not affect consumers.  According to  him, in case of a price change, Gazprom Armenia will have to turn to  the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC), and after that the  gas tariff for consumers will be determined. "The current agreement  with Russia ends on December 31, negotiations are underway, and so  far there is no information," the deputy minister said.

It should be noted that earlier in an interview with ArmInfo, the  Deputy Minister did not exclude the possibility of extending the life  of the second power unit of the Armenian NPP after 2026. According to  him, the ANPP played and continues to play an important role in the  country's energy balance. The station has a WWER-440 reactor. Many  states using similar reactors are on the path to extending their  life. Based on the fact that in 2026 it will be 40 years of operation  of the unit, and also taking into account the six-year downtime of  the second power unit, it is theoretically possible to allow the  possibility of extension not only until 2040, but also until 2046.  "But for now, at this stage we are talking about a deadline of 2026.  In 2022- 2023, new large-scale studies will be carried out at the  station, the results of which will make a final decision," the deputy  minister said.