Hydropower generates about 30% of Armenia's electricity but its share varies a lot from year to year.
Hydro power plants provide 70 percent of Armenia's renewable energy. Major HPP capacities are installed within Sevan-Hrazdan Cascade and Vorotan Cascade. The hydropower potential of Armenia is reported to be 21.8 billion kWh.
As of 1 January 2018, electricity was generated by 184 small HPPs, with total installed capacity of 353 MW. In 2017 the generation of the electricity from small HPPs was around 862 million kW*h, which is about 11% of the total generated electricity in Armenia (7762 million kW*h). As of 1 January 2018, and according to the provided licenses, 36 additional SHPPs are under construction, with about total projected 69 MW capacity and 250 million kW*h electricity annual supply.
The economically justified hydropower potential of Armenia is around 3.600 GWh/year. From this amount, 1.500 GWh/year (or about 42% of economically justified hydropower potential) has been developed already."Hydropower Potential of Armenia" , Renewable Energy Armenia (Danish Energy Management A/S). Six of the plants are in the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Large plants Armenia has nine hydroelectric power plants which together accounted for one third of its domestic electricity generation. The plants are grouped along two cascades: the Sevan–Hrazdan Cascade and the Vorotan Cascade. The following table lists the details of each cascade:Map of Armenian Electricity Grid , Global Energy Network Institute, September, 2000.
PlantYear builtInstalled capacity (MW)Annual average production (GWh)OwnershipSevan-Hrazdan Cascade1936–1961556936(reduced to 487 because of the level of Lake Sevan)International Energy Corporation CJSC (privatized in June 2003)"Electric Power in Asia and the Pacific 2001–2002: Armenia" , United Nations ESCAP. (90% of which belongs to Tashir Group, owned by Samvel Karapetyan)Sevan Hydro Power Plant194934.250Atarbekyan Hydro Power Plant (Hrazdan)195981.6136Gyumush Hydro Power Plant (Argel)1953224378Arzni Hydro Power Plant195670.513Kanaker Hydro Power Plant1936102151Yerevan 1 Hydro Power Plant19614483Vorotan Cascade1970–1984405.461010.7US company CountourGlobalSpandaryan Hydro Power Plant198476154Shamb Hydro Power Plant1977171272Tatev Hydro Power Plant1970157.2580
Planned projects Though both Iran and Armenia have long discussed opening a 140 MW, joint hydro power plant on the Artak's River – Meghri HPP (also known as the Araks Hydro Power Plant) – by mid-2021, the project had not begun construction. Coupled with the 60 MW Loriberd HPP, these projects would add a cumulative generation of 1,012 million kWh/year.National Program on Energy Saving and Renewable Energy of Republic of Armenia , Scientific Research Institute of Energy for the Alliance to Save Energy, 2007. The Meghri Hydro Power Plant is a joint Armenian-Iranian project slated to be constructed on the Araks River near Armenia's southern border town of Meghri.US Concerned by Armenia's Energy Ties With Iran , EurasiaNet, June 21, 2007.
In 2010, the energy ministers of Armenia and Iran signed a document on the long-anticipated construction of two hydropower stations on the Arax River. The agreement stipulates that the $323 million project will be fundamentally financed and operated by Iran, 793 million kWh of energy transported to Iran annually, and the stations transferred to Armenia's ownership 15 years later. Construction was expected to commence in 2011 and take five years to complete. By 2021, construction had not begun.
Small plants According to a USAID sponsored report, 313 small hydroelectric power plants (small HPPs) with an installed capacity of 243.366 MW and an average yearly electricity production of 737.38 GWh are installed in the country.
+List of notable small hydroelectric power plants in ArmeniaName of water reservoirNumber of HPP unitsTotal installed capacity (MW)Average yearly production (GWh)Debed River7935.501123.47Aghstev River6758.270159.27Akhuryan River1424.98579.75Kasakh River147.90519.16Hrazdan River139.07027.37Lake Sevan2022.96566.03Azat River and Vedi River2018.21556.15Arpa River2635.41088.58Meghri River and Voghdji River5321.24572.63Vorotan River89.80044.97Total313243.366737.38
History Some plants were lost in the 2nd Nagorno-Karabakh war, leading to electricity shortages after cables connecting the enclave were damaged.
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