Assessing Armenia`s energy security solely by commercial criteria  could lead to irreversible errors - expert

ArmInfo. Energy security is one of the pillars of Armenia's sovereignty, and assessing it solely by commercial criteria can lead to irreversible errors. This  is what political scientist Vahe Davtyan writes.

According to him, in the first seven months of 2025, Georgia  increased its electricity imports by approximately 634%, bringing the  figure in monetary terms to $26.1 million. Meanwhile, the share of  electricity imports from Armenia in total imports was only $4.3  million, while from Azerbaijan it was $21.2 million.

"It is also important to note that during the same period, Armenia  imported electricity from Georgia worth $1.7 million. Of course, not  bad. At least in electricity trade with Georgia, we are no longer a  net importer.  However, if we look at the issue more systematically,  it becomes clear that if at least part of the resources allocated to  the rapid and at the same time chaotic development of solar energy in  Armenia in recent years had been directed towards the construction of  a new high-voltage power transmission line between Armenia and  Georgia, then, of course, the picture would have been much more  favorable. On the one hand, we would have strengthened our position  in the Georgian electricity market, acting as a stable exporter of  electricity - a product with high added value and strategic  importance, and on the other, we would not have allowed a dangerous  overload of production capacities in the electricity system, which  the same government is now forced to talk about. Energy security is  one of the pillars of sovereignty. Assessing it solely by commercial  criteria can lead to irreversible errors," the expert noted.

The North-South Energy Corridor project, designed to connect the  power systems of Iran, Armenia, Georgia, and Russia, has encountered  a number of challenges. Initially, the 400/500-kilovolt Iran-Armenia  and Armenia-Georgia power lines were scheduled for completion by the  end of 2019. However, as of today, work on the Iran-Armenia power  line is 80% complete, while construction of the Armenia-Georgia power  line has not yet begun. According to the project, it is planned to  build a 400-kV Iran-Armenia power line and a 500-kV Armenia-Georgia  power line. For this purpose, two electrical substations, "Ayrum" and  "Ddmashen," are planned to be built on the Georgian border. According  to FICHTNER, the preliminary cost of the Armenia-Georgia power line  construction program is ?326.9 million, 10% of which is to be  Georgia's contribution. To this end, three loan agreements were  signed in 2014-2015. Specifically, the German bank KfW provided a  ?168 million loan, and the European Investment Bank provided an  additional ?10 million. A grant of another ?10 million is expected  from the European Commission. The Iran-Armenia high-voltage power  transmission line is expected to be built in the first quarter of  2026.