
ArmInfo.Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia Narek Apitonyan met with Ashish Khanna, Director General of the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
The meeting took place in Brussels as part of the 7th meeting of the Regional Committee for Europe and Other Countries.
During the meeting, Apitonyan presented the current state of solar energy development in Armenia and the challenges facing the industry. The parties emphasized the importance of studying best practices in the implementation of energy storage systems.
Following the meeting, an agreement was reached to hold a new meeting in the near future to discuss opportunities for more substantive cooperation. As a reminder, the Armenian government planned to increase the share of solar energy in the country's energy balance from 0.3% to 15% by 2030. However, it has already become clear that this target will be exceeded. The country has significant solar energy potential: the average annual solar energy flux per square meter of horizontal surface is 1,720 kWh/m2, and a quarter of the republic's territory has solar energy resources with an intensity of at least 1,850 kWh/m2 per year. However, the lack of storage plants is hindering the development of this segment of the country's energy sector.
It is worth noting that the International Solar Alliance (ISA) is an international intergovernmental organization created at the initiative of India and France during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris in 2015. Its activities are aimed at expanding the use of solar energy, improving the energy security of states, and facilitating the global transition to environmentally friendly energy sources. ISA is headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana, India. The organization is implementing the Towards 1000 strategy, which aims to mobilize $1 trillion in solar energy investment by 2030, provide access to clean energy for 1 billion people, and create 1,000 GW of new solar capacity.