ArmInfo. The operator of the water system of Armenia, Veolia Jur, has commissioned its first small hydropower plant. The opening ceremony of the small hydropower facility took place the day before in the city of Nor Hachn in the Kotayk region of the republic.
According to the press service of the company, the commissioned small hydropower plant was built exclusively for the needs of the company. It was built on the Arzakan-Gyumush water pipeline with an investment of 376.6 million drams. The small hydropower plant, equipped with modern European equipment, has a capacity of 220 kWh and will generate 1.925 million kWh of electricity per year. In the future, the power plant will be transferred to the Government of the Republic of Armenia represented by the Water Committee.
Veolia Jur, a subsidiary of Veolia Group, announced plans in 2020 to expand its operations in Armenia and invest in the energy sector. These plans were approved by the RA government. The company received a license for the construction of the SHPP in 2023.
"This power plant is a source of cheap electricity for Veolia Jur, which, naturally, will have a positive impact on the price of drinking water," said Mesrop Mesropyan, Chairman of the Public Services Regulatory Commission of the Republic of Armenia.
"The launch of the new Achinsk SHPP is not only an important achievement for our company, but also an important step towards the development of renewable energy in Armenia. It is for this purpose that the company has made significant investments in this area in 2023 and 2024, building and operating 7 solar power plants on leased water systems and their sanitary zones in its service territory. These power plants have already produced 1,570,548 kWh of electricity in 2024. A total of 395,303,501 million drams have been invested in the implementation of these projects. The power plants we have built will contribute to energy independence and will allow us to contain the energy costs of water supply and sanitation systems as much as possible," said Veolia Jur CEO Marianna Shaginyan, adding that the company is currently developing a project for the next small hydropower plant, the construction of which is planned for this year.
According to the Strategy for the Development of Energy in the Republic of Armenia until 2040, it is planned to increase the volume of renewable energy sources to 1 thousand MW by 2030, and to 2 thousand MW by 2040. Thus, the share of renewable energy sources in the total volume of electricity production will be increased to 50%.
