ArmInfo. Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia Armen Simonyan received a delegation led by Deputy Minister of Oil of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) Mohammad Sadeq Azimifar and Ambassador of the IRI to Armenia Mehdi Sobhani.
During the meeting, the parties discussed issues related to cooperation in the energy sector. The management model of Iran's energy sector, the possibilities and prospects for fuel production and export were also presented.
They touched upon the programs of Construction of 400 kV Iran-Armenia overhead power line and the corresponding substation and Gas for Electricity. The Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration noted that Armenia has always supported the smooth implementation of these programs.
During the discussions, Mohammad Sadeq Azimifar expressed hope that the meeting would contribute to deepening the partnership between the two countries.
In conclusion, the parties agreed to continue the discussion and implement activities to exchange experiences and develop professional competencies.
Armenia and Iran are connected by two 220-kilovolt power transmission lines. A third one (400 kV) is currently under construction, which will allow for a threefold increase in electricity flows between Armenia and Iran. Thus, Armenia is conducting a barter deal with Iran, according to which it receives 1 cubic meter of Iranian gas in exchange for 3 kW/h of electricity in the opposite direction, and with the construction of the third power transmission line, these volumes will increase significantly (from 350 MW to 1200 MW). Nevertheless, the project to build the North-South energy corridor, designed to unite the electric power systems of Iran, Armenia, Georgia and Russia, has encountered a number of problems, primarily related to frequent postponements of the commissioning dates. If the completion date of the Iran-Armenia power transmission line project was previously announced as the end of 2018 (construction began in 2015), at the end of December 2021, the responsible structures already stated that the line would be ready by the end of 2024. The main contractor for the construction of the 400-kilovolt Iran-Armenia power transmission line is the Iranian company Sunir. The total cost of the project is $ 107.9 million, of which 77% was provided by the Export Development Bank of Iran, and 23% by Sunir itself. A year ago, Iran and Armenia extended the Gas for Electricity agreement until 2030. As for the Armenia-Georgia power transmission line, the parties have not yet started its construction. August 14 this year. The Armenian government has amended the state budget for 2025 in order to complete the program
