The Future of Wind Power Development in Armenia
Source: https://www.construction.am
Interest in the construction of large wind farms is growing from year to year in Armenia. This business also attracts the emirates company “Access Infra Central Asia Limited”, which installed an 80-meter tower to measure wind flows in Gegharkunik region. It will be put into operation in the next few days, and in April it is planned to install another tower, but on other location. On March 30 last year an agreement was signed between the Emirates company and the Republic of Armenia on leasing land plots in different regions of the country with total area of 1,250 hectares for the construction of wind farms with total capacity of 150 MW.
Another company which is interested in building of wind farms in Armenia is the Spanish Acciona Energia Global S.L. In March last year the Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources of the Republic of Armenia signed with this company a memorandum of understanding on construction of wind farms with total capacity of 100-150 MW. The company already began work on assessing the potential of winds and installed two monitoring stations with height of 80 meters each and one “Sodar” system.
The first, not only in Armenia but also in all Caucasus, wind farm with total capacity of 2.6 MW was putted into operation on Pushkin Mounting Pass in December 2005. On this site, it is planned to build wind power stations with a total capacity up to 50 MW.
In 2003, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory of the United States compiled a map of wind energy potential of the Republic of Armenia, according to which the economically justified wind energy potential is estimated at 450 MW with electricity production totaling 1.26 billion kWh/annum. The program also identified the main promising regions where it is advisable to install wind turbines. According to some other estimates, theoretically the capacity of wind power farms in Armenia can be up to 5000 MW.
In order to build wind farms, another company, Zod Wind, completed monitoring on the territory of the Sotk Pass. The company intends to build the wind farm “Zod” with a capacity of 20 MW. In turn, the Armenian-Italian company Ar Energy completed monitoring on the territory of the Karakhach Pass in the Shirak region and received a license to build the wind farm Karachach-1 with capacity of up to 20 MW. In the future Ar Energy plans to increase total capacity up to 140 MW. As well as within the framework of the European Union's TACIS program “Supporting Armenia's Energy Policy” monitoring was launched at the Semenovka Pass of lake Sevan region on the basis of which a preliminary feasibility study was prepared for the construction of a wind farm with a total capacity of 35MW.
Another company which is interested in building of wind farms in Armenia is the Spanish Acciona Energia Global S.L. In March last year the Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources of the Republic of Armenia signed with this company a memorandum of understanding on construction of wind farms with total capacity of 100-150 MW. The company already began work on assessing the potential of winds and installed two monitoring stations with height of 80 meters each and one “Sodar” system.
The first, not only in Armenia but also in all Caucasus, wind farm with total capacity of 2.6 MW was putted into operation on Pushkin Mounting Pass in December 2005. On this site, it is planned to build wind power stations with a total capacity up to 50 MW.
In 2003, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory of the United States compiled a map of wind energy potential of the Republic of Armenia, according to which the economically justified wind energy potential is estimated at 450 MW with electricity production totaling 1.26 billion kWh/annum. The program also identified the main promising regions where it is advisable to install wind turbines. According to some other estimates, theoretically the capacity of wind power farms in Armenia can be up to 5000 MW.
In order to build wind farms, another company, Zod Wind, completed monitoring on the territory of the Sotk Pass. The company intends to build the wind farm “Zod” with a capacity of 20 MW. In turn, the Armenian-Italian company Ar Energy completed monitoring on the territory of the Karakhach Pass in the Shirak region and received a license to build the wind farm Karachach-1 with capacity of up to 20 MW. In the future Ar Energy plans to increase total capacity up to 140 MW. As well as within the framework of the European Union's TACIS program “Supporting Armenia's Energy Policy” monitoring was launched at the Semenovka Pass of lake Sevan region on the basis of which a preliminary feasibility study was prepared for the construction of a wind farm with a total capacity of 35MW.
