YEREVAN. - In the long term Armenia will be able to directly connect with the power system of Russia, Armenian Deputy Minister of Energy Areg Galstyan said today in the parliament, introducing the 10 million Euro draft credit agreement with the European Investment Bank in the framework of the “Caucasus Transmission Network” project (the main donor of the 105-million-Eur project is the German KfW bank, which supports by 85 million Euro).  

In the framework of the project, it is planned to construct the first 400 kV transmission line between Armenia and Georgia, which will increase the cable performance for the crossflow between the power systems of both countries almost thrice.

Following this, mutually beneficial crossflows will be possible not only between Armenia and Georgia, but also Georgia and Iran. In 2006, Energy Ministers of Iran, Armenia, Georgia signed a memorandum on cooperation in the sphere of energy, which supposed power crossflows when possible.

This is very beneficial for the Georgian side: the latter will be able to direct to Iran the excess of its cheap hydropower in spring and get the same amount back in winter. Armenia will also be able to buy the cheap Georgian power, the Deputy Minister said.

The construction of the new Electric Transmission Line (ETL) will make it possible for Armenia to directly supply its electricity to Russia, since the Georgian and Russian systems work in a parallelly synchronic regime, and have always worked liked that, irrespective of political conflicts, Galstyan said. Thanks to this, Georgia gets the power it needs in winter months.

Armenia wants to show its Russian colleagues the benefit of the cable performance and construction of another 500 kV ETL from Mozdok to Kavkasioni line.

The strengthening of the transmission lines will be beneficial for both Georgia and Armenia, which will be able to enhance the connection via the future common EEU energy system. “I think such a system will be created. And there’s no doubt in its efficiency: Kazakhstan and Belarus already take advantage of such cooperation,” Galstyan said.