Thursday, May 21 2020 12:58

ArmInfo.Until October 27, 2020, the results of an international tender to select a company that will build a 200-megawatt Aig-1 solar power plant of industrial importance will be summed up in Armenia.

At the May 21 sitting, the Government of Armenia approved the start of the prequalification competition.  

According to RA Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan, the tender has  been announced within the framework of the investment project  proposed by the Emirates company "Masdar". The Ministry of  Territorial Administration and Infrastructures of the RA is entrusted  with organizing the procedure for accepting tender proposals.

In turn, the Director of the Armenian National Interests Fund, David  Papazian, said that as part of the first phase of the program it is  planned to build a solar power plant with a capacity of 200 MW.  Starting tomorrow, the acceptance of applications will be announced.  This process will continue for 45 calendar days, after which the  three best offers will enter the qualification stage. Then, within 2  weeks, they undertake to submit their counterarguments at the price  of electricity from a future solar generation facility. And if the  offer is below 2.99 cents per 1 kWh offered by Masdar, then this  company will be declared the winner. However, Masdar retains an  advantage in the form of a 0.1 cent reduction in the price proposed  by the winner. If such a proposal does not follow, then the winning  company will build a solar station. David Papazian also noted that  such tenders, or reverse tenders, are very popular in the world,  especially in Asian countries.  As the Prime Minister of Armenia  Nikol Pashinyan noted, the main goal of the tender is to obtain a  minimum tariff from a future solar energy facility, which will have a  positive impact on the entire economy of the country. In addition,  with the tender, a signal is sent to investors that there is no  oligarchy in Armenia and that foreign investments are reliably  protected.  To recall, on July 12 last year the Executive Director of  Masdar Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi and the Executive Director of the  National Interests Fund of Armenia David Papaziaan signed an  agreement on cooperation in the construction of solar photovoltaic  (200 MW), wind (200 MW) energy and "floating" solar installations  (100 MW).

As Papazian noted then, more than 200 rivers and lakes can be used  for floating solar programs. In Armenia, where the wind speed is 8.5  meters per second, there are favorable conditions for construction  and a wind farm. The country records an indicator of 1,720 kWh of  solar energy per 1 sq.  meter, unlike the average European figure of  1000 kWh, "he said.  Armenia, being a full member of the  International Renewable Energy Agency, Abu Dhabi since 2010, aims to  provide more than a quarter (26%) of domestic demand through  renewable energy by 2025.

It should be noted that construction of the Masrik-1 industrial-scale  solar power plant is ongoing in Armenia, which is being built by the  winning consortium from a Dutch company with Spanish roots Photowatio  Renewable Ventures B.V and Spanish FSL Solar S.L. . In order to  implement the project, the consortium founded the FRV Masrik company  in Armenia. Estimated cost of the investment program will exceed $ 55  million.