On May 14, 2021, Clean Energy Talk event "Green Square of Armenia" took place in Yerevan organized by "Rosatom" State Corporation in cooperation with RA Ministry of Territorial Administration of and Infrastructure and the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Yerevan.
Tigran Melkonyan, Head of Energy Department of RA Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, presented Strategic Program for Development of t Energy Sector of the Republic of Armenia (until 2040), touched upon the prospects of wind, solar and hydropower development in Armenia.
He noted that the economically efficient and reasonable use of renewable energy resources in accordance with all environmental standards is a priority. According to him, it is envisaged to ensure the maximum possible growth of the share of renewable energy in the energy balance with at least 15% share of solar energy in 2030, large-scale implementation of energy saving and energy efficiency measures, introduction of energy saving and energy efficient technologies in the transition to green economy.
He noted that the economically efficient and reasonable use of renewable energy resources in accordance with all environmental standards is a priority. According to him, it is envisaged to ensure the maximum possible growth of the share of renewable energy in the energy balance with at least 15% share of solar energy in 2030, large-scale implementation of energy saving and energy efficiency measures, introduction of energy saving and energy efficient technologies in the transition to green economy.
Touching upon the development of hydropower, Tigran Melkonyan mentioned the construction of "Loriberd 1" and "Loriberd 2" SHPPs. "There were several investors to build the plant, but like Shnogh and Meghri, we have planned the development of our energy system without them in the next ten years. If there are proposals, we will give priority to the environment, then only to electricity. They have remained as reserves in our strategic plan, but at the moment no step harmful to nature is being taken, it will definitely not be done," he said.
It should be noted that according to the resolution adopted by the Government of the Republic of Armenia on April 8, 2021, Dzoraget, on which the construction of "Loriberd 1" and "Loriberd 2" SHPPs was planned, was included in the list of 25 rivers on which construction of new SHPPs is prohibited. These are rivers that are red-listed or are endemic to the area, which are spawning grounds for endemic fish species or are 40% overloaded with diversion pipes.
Yuri Sviridenko, Head of Russian side of the project on Armenian NPP lifetime extension, presented the activities of Rosatom state corporation, the achievements in the energy sector, and spoke about the impact of the power plants on the environment. Sviridenko also touched upon the history of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant when it was built and put into operation.Yuri Sviridenko, the head of the Russian side of the project to extend the life of the Armenian NPP, presented the activities of the Rosatom state corporation, the achievements in the energy sector, and spoke about the impact of the power plants on the environment. Sviridenko also touched upon the history of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant when it was built and put into operation.
It should be noted that since May 15, the ANPP has been shut down for 141 days. During the break, safety measures are planned, in particular, the firing of the reactor body. In response to EcoLur's observation that the shutdown of the ANPP for almost five months, along with the loss of 330 million kilowatt hours of electricity supply from Artsakh to Armenia, what energy risks could be created in the country, what steps are being taken to prevent them, Tigran Melkonyan said in response:
“The Government of the Republic of Armenia is properly prepared so that our energy security, the electricity of our consumers is uninterruptedly supplied. These are hard times, but our existing capacity is enough to provide uninterrupted electricity 24/7. We also have a contract with Georgia, if necessary we will import cheap electricity. We also have the Hrazdan TPP in reserve, which will be connected to the energy system at the right time. But at the moment we have a clear plan for the operation of our power system, so there is no problem."
UNDP Climate Change Program Coordinator Diana Harutyunyan presented the causes and consequences of climate change, and spoke about greenhouse gases. Then the speaker mentioned how climate change has affected Armenia, what obligations our country has undertaken within the framework of the Paris Agreement and how it fulfills them.
"The forecasts made in 2012, which the government has developed within the framework of the energy strategy, show that we are at the best level in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. We have clearly fulfilled our obligations in the scenarios: we have a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. We can also significantly reduce emissions in the coming years, which shows that there are no risks that we will not fulfill the commitments undertaken by the Paris Agreement," she said.
May 18, 2021 at 16:40