WSHPDR_2013_Final_Report-updated_version

3.2.1 Armenia
Vahan Sargsyan, Levon Harutyunyan, Scientific
Research Institute of Energy, Armenia; Kai Whiting,
International Center of Small Hydro Power
Key facts
Population 2,970,495 1
Area 29,743 km 2
Climate Highland continental, hot summers,
cold winters.
Topography Armenian Highland with mountains;
little forest land; fast flowing rivers;
good soil in Aras River valley. (highest
point: Mount Aragats at 4,090 metres)
Rain
pattern
Average annual precipitation is around
300 mm.
Electricity overview
The level of electrification in Armenia is 100 per cent.
Armenia has only a small number of lignite or brown
coal mines, located in the vicinity of Gyumri and
Spitak. Oil reserves exist but in a depth that makes it
currently uneconomical to extract them. 2 Renewable
sources therefore make a sizable contribution to the
generation of electricity (figure 1).
Armenia is a net exporter of electricity. In 2011, 358
GWh were imported whilst some 1,225 GWh were
exported. 3 4
SHP & Wind 6%
Thermal
22%
Hydro
33%
39%
Nuclear
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Figure 1 Electricity generation in Armenia
Sources: Arka 3 , Karapoghosyan 4
Note: Data from 2011. Thermal power is mostly from
natural gas.
Small hydropower sector overview and potential
SHP installed
capacity
SHP potential
157.7 MW
0 150 300 450
430 MW
Figure 2 Small hydropower capacities in Armenia
Note: This information is for small hydropower up to
10 MW.
The upper capacity limit that defines small
hydropower in Armenia has been raised from 10 MW
to 30 MW in 2012. 5
There are three types of small hydropower schemes in
Armenia: derivational, water supply on the inclinations
of water routes and those located next to
dams/reservoirs. As of April 2012, there were about
120 small hydropower plants operating in the
country. 3 In 2012, the total small hydropower capacity
was 157.7 MW (120 plants) with an annual production
of more than 500 GWh/year. 5 It is worth mentioning
that all small hydropower plants in Armenia are
privately owned. The small hydropower potential is
estimated at 430 MW (figure 2).
The history of small hydro development shows that
real progress in Armenia took place starting after 2004
when Public Services Regulatory Commission of the
Republic of Armenia (PSRC) adopted a clear feed-intariff
(FIT) for new projects. 6 Several projects were
awarded construction licences and were
commissioned two or three years after the beginning
of construction. A few projects were commissioned
even more quickly. The table below shows the annual
growth in commissioned projects.
Growth in small hydropower in Armenia, 1999-2010
Year
Number
of units
Capacity
(MW)
Output
(GWh)
Pre-1999 19 29.40 80.0
1999 1 0.75 3.0
2000 2 1.20 2.7
2001 3 1.60 7.4
2002 3 3.50 6.7
2003 3 1.40 5.4
2004 4 12.20 37.8
2005 3 4.00 10.7
2006 11 11.50 30.8
2007 9 10.30 10.3
2008 8 12.60 59.0
2009 12 13.90 58.8
2010 22 28.33 100.1
The results of the small hydropower feasibility studies,
including layouts and the concise results of
calculations of hydrological and other data, are placed
on the official web site of the Ministry of Energy and
Natural Resources. 7
While the small hydropower industry finds numerous
barriers to development, it must be recognized that
the industry has been successful for the last decade,
particularly in the last five years. The small
hydropower sector provides more than 5 per cent of
the annual electrical needs of Armenia.
A very large boost of support for developers was given
in 2005 via the establishment of the Armenia
Renewable Resource Energy Efficiency Fund (R2E2). 8
The World Bank and European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development provided a US$20
million loan through the Global Environmental Facility
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