Minister: We cannot be satisfied with speed of construction of new  Iran-Armenia power line

ArmInfo.Armenia cannot be satisfied with the speed of construction of the third Iran-Armenia  power line. Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures of the Republic of Armenia Gnel Sanosyan stated this on July 26 at the discussion of the main directions of the country's  draft state budget for 2024 in the RA National Assembly.

"We are trying to find some solutions with Iranian partners," Sanosyan noted,  adding at the same time that the second stage of the tender for the  construction of the Armenia-Georgia power transmission line is  starting, following which a construction company will be determined  that will implement the project to create an Iran-Armenia-Georgia  energy corridor. In particular, it is necessary to build not only  high-voltage lines, but also an electrical substation in Ayrum.

Sanosyan also said that next year the implementation of the energy  efficiency and energy saving program will continue, for which there  are already appropriate funds in the 2024 state budget draft. Through  this program, the government provides financial assistance to owners  of apartments and houses who use innovative solutions to renovate  their homes with the use of energy saving elements. The program has  become widespread, and over 3,000 families have become its  beneficiaries. Given the success of the project, which expires by the  end of this year, a decision was made to extend the program for one  year.

In 2024, Sanosyan continued, the infrastructure modernization program  of High Voltage Electric Network CJSC will continue. In particular,  there are electrical substations in Vanadzor, Ashnak, Lichk, Ararat,  where work is to be done to modernize them.

In general, as the minister noted, it is planned to allocate 55.9  billion drams for the energy development in 2024, most of which is  represented by the state budget deficit.

Earlier, ArmInfo reported that Armenia is carrying out a barter deal  with Iran, according to which it receives 1 cubic meter of Iranian  gas in exchange for 3 kWh of electricity, which makes it possible to  receive 1 kWh of electricity almost free of charge. With the  construction of the third transmission line, these volumes will  increase significantly. As expected, the exchange project will also  involve electricity from a new thermal unit with a capacity of 250  MW, opened at the end of November 2021 in Yerevan.  However, the  project to build the North-South energy corridor, designed to connect  the electric power systems of Iran, Armenia, Georgia and Russia, has  faced a number of problems. According to the current situation, it is  implemented by 70%. If the completion date of the Iran-Armenia power  line project was previously announced  the end of 2018, at the end of  December 2021, the responsible bodies already announced that the line  would be ready by the end of 2023. The main contractor for the  construction of the 400-kilovolt Iran-Armenia power line is the  Iranian Sunir company. The total cost of the project is $107.9  million, of which 77% will be provided by the Export Development Bank  of Iran, and 23% by Sunir. As for the Armenia-Georgia power  transmission line, the parties have not yet begun its construction.