Fifth block of Hrazdan power plant joins Armenian power grid

YEREVAN, January 18. /ARKA/. The Fifth Block of the Hrazdan power plant has joined today Armenia’s power grid, Shushan Sardaryan, a spokeswoman for the Russian-Armenian ArmRosGazprom (ARG) company, which owns the unit, told ARKA. She said the block went online at 2 pm local day.

The construction of the fifth unit was started in the late 1980s, but ground to a halt following the Soviet Union’s collapse. Russian Gazprom which now owns more than 80 percent in ARG, acquired the incomplete facility in 2006 as part of an agreement with Armenian government that also raised its controlling stake in Armenia’s gas distribution network. The Russians pledged to spend more than $200 million on completing the protracted construction. According to the latest number of ArmRosGazprom, a total of $456 million has been invested into the unit.

The Fifth Block will be more powerful and efficient than the four other operating units of the power plant which is in central Kotayk province. Its launch will significantly boost Armenia’s power generating capacity. Before going online it was tested in late December. Now the station is under pilot operation.

The fifth unit with 480 megawatt capacity runs steam and gas turbines that makes it unique not only in the region, but in the world. It will generate electrical power from natural gas arriving from Iran and ship part of it back as payment for gas.-0-