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Czech company planning to build 30-50 MW geothermal plant in Armenia

Czech company planning to build 30-50 MW geothermal plant in Armenia View over Kapan, southern Armenia (source: flickr/ Gregor Samsa, creative commons)
Alexander Richter 16 Aug 2018

Czech Sumes GeoPower AG has announced plans to build a geothermal power plant of up to 50 MW at Karkar in Armenia.

Reported locally, company Sumes GeoPower AG has announced plans to build a geothermal power plant in Armenia. The plants planned capacity will be from 30 to 50 MW

Since 200i, the program for the development of alternative energy sources in Armenia is implemented. The goal of the program is to reduce dependence on energy imports. One of the main points of the program is the erection of geothermal power plants, with Armenia’s partner being the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, a division of the World Bank), which in 2016 signed an agreement on the geothermal exploration drilling program.

Works on the development of a feasibility study for the construction of a geothermal power plant “Karkar” have been carried out since 2017. Its implementation in mid-July was discussed by the Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources of Armenia Artur Grigoryan and Czech Ambassador Petr Mikiska.

According to the press service of the Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources of the country, Mikiska stated “readiness to make every effort to implement joint programs, including geothermal power plants” . The contractor should be SUMEC GEOPOWER AG, which was confirmed by its executive director Michal Gorachek. According to him, the capacity of the geothermal station will be 30-50 MW in the basic mode, with up to 7 thousand hours of work per year.

Deputy Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources of Armenia Hayk Harutyunyan also spoke about the most important role of this project. “This is a unique source of renewable energy, which does not depend on weather or other conditions. It always works, and this is its value for our energy system, “he stressed.

Some background on the project can be found on this Wikipedia page.

Source: Czech Radio