ArmInfo.The Armenian government will soon present for discussion an action plan aimed at introducing storage capacities in the energy sector of the Republic of Armenia. This was stated by Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Hakob Vardanyan at a meeting of the NA Standing Committee on Economic Issues on September 4.
"As of September 1, the installed capacity of solar power plants in Armenia was 630 MW, which is a fairly good indicator. For example, daytime consumption in recent days has fluctuated around 830-850 MW, of which approximately 530 MW is generated by solar power plants. On the one hand, this is good, on the other hand, it is a challenge to ensure uninterrupted power supply in the evening," he noted.
According to him, the issue with storage capacities has not yet been resolved in the republic. Conventionally speaking, even if at some point the share of solar electricity in the country's energy balance reaches 50%, in the evening hours, in bad weather, when domestic energy consumption increases, the shortfall has to be covered by traditional sources or imported from outside.
The authorities intend to regulate the operation of storage capacities by amendments to the law "On Energy". In the coming days, a program of measures to stimulate the introduction of these capacities will be presented. "The best method for stimulation that the world uses is market mechanisms. Our electricity market is not yet fully liberalized - only 30% work on the market. At the same time, we cannot make a complete and abrupt transition to the market, since there will be technical problems, among other things," Vardanyan explained.
According to the Deputy Minister, Armenia's accession to the International Solar Alliance can make an important contribution to the development of Armenia's renewable energy sector. The official signing ceremony of the Framework Agreement <On the Establishment of the International Solar Alliance> by Armenia took place at the RA MFA on November 16, 2023.
"Armenia can become the 98th country to ratify the framework agreement, and Armenia's participation in the Alliance will be quite useful," Vardanyan said while presenting the document. This will become an important platform for exchanging experience between the participating countries, he added.
The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is a joint initiative of France and India, launched during COP21 with the aim of making an unprecedented effort to promote solar energy. The goal of the ISA is to set the ground rules, norms and standards for solar energy, in order to obtain a rapid and massive deployment in countries that are rich in solar resources but where the risks are still seen as high. The ISA is putting in place concrete tools, capacity-building measures and innovative financial instruments. One example is the harmonization of public policies, regulations and prices between the countries, which reduces the uncertainties, strengthens the economic viability of solar projects and reassures the investors. Renewable energy is one of the most important areas of development of the energy system of Armenia. According to the strategic plan for energy development until 2030, it is planned to increase the share of solar energy in the total volume to 15%.
