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John Heffern: Agreement On Vorotan Cascade Of HPPs To Be Signed Shor

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  • John Heffern: Agreement On Vorotan Cascade Of HPPs To Be Signed Shor

    JOHN HEFFERN: AGREEMENT ON VOROTAN CASCADE OF HPPS TO BE SIGNED SHORTLY

    by Marianna Lazarian

    Friday, December 19, 13:29

    U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern said in a press conference,
    Friday, Armenia and U.S. will sign an agreement on the Vorotan Cascade
    of HPPs shortly.

    The ambassador called it a very important investment project for both
    Armenia and the United States. Furthermore, he said, it will be the
    biggest investment project of the U.S. in Armenia. Ambassador Heffern
    said it is a big project cost 250 million dollars, which is several
    times as big as the United States' previous investments in Armenia.

    The diplomat is sure that the given agreement will enable Armenia
    diversify its energy sector. He is sure that the agreement will be
    of big importance for both the states.

    Earlier, ArmInfo reported that on January 29, ContourGlobal and the
    Government of Armenia announced that they have signed an agreement for
    ContourGlobal to purchase and modernize the Vorotan Hydro Cascade,
    a series of three hydroelectric power plants totaling 405 MW on the
    Vorotan River in southern Armenia, for a purchase price of $180 million
    USD. ContourGlobal pledges to invest $70 million over the next six
    years in a refurbishment program to modernize the plants and improve
    their operational performance, safety, reliability, and efficiency. The
    Public Services Regulatory Commission has already approved the tariff
    plan for the consistent exploitation of the Vorotan Cascade for the
    coming 25 years by Contour Global Hydro Cascade.

    Vorotan Cascade of HPPs consists of three hydro-power plants with a
    total capacity of 404MW. The Cascade operates year-round thanks to
    its two reservoirs and helps regulating the frequencies of power
    exchange from Iran to Armenia and the vice versa. The designed
    capacity of the Cascade is 1.16 bln kWh electricity annually. Vorotan
    Cascade of HPPs CJSC was 100% state company under jurisdiction of
    the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of Armenia before the
    latest deal. The Vorotan Hydro Cascade is one of the largest and most
    flexible power generating facilities in Armenia and the Caucasus. It
    needs modernization and this acquisition represents the largest single
    U.S. private investment in Armenia's history and the first U.S.

    investment in Armenia's energy sector. ContourGlobal is a New York
    based international power-generation company with approximately 3,500
    MW in operations or under construction in 17 countries and on four
    continents. ContourGlobal's 1,650 employees manage, own and operate
    a portfolio of 33 power plants utilizing a wide range of fuel types
    and technologies including renewable energy production based upon
    Hydro, wind, solar and biomass, as well as an extensive fleet of
    conventionally powered thermal power plants. In the wider Eastern
    Europe area, ContourGlobal currently owns and operates approximately
    1100 MW of power generation businesses in Bulgaria, Ukraine, Romania,
    and Poland.

    Meanwhile, this deal has been criticized in the political circles
    in Armenia. It is widely rumored that the deal is shady and the
    ex-minister of energy Armen Movsisyan will have illegal incomes from
    it. In the political circles they explain Movsisyan's resignation
    with that deal. There are even rumors that Movsisyan may be brought
    responsible. The Armenian party has frozen the deal for several months.

    http://www.arminfo.am/index.cfm?objectid=EBC52840-8769-11E4-BCF90EB7C0D21663

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