Republic of Armenia

Scaling Up Renewable Energy Program (SREP)

Investment Plan for Armenia

April 2014

FOREWORD

An affordable, secure and sustainable energy supply is essential for the prosperity of the people of Armenia, and for the growth of our economy. Because of Armenia’s dependence on energy imports, energy prices are largely beyond our control. Over the past decade as we emerged from an energy crisis, we learned the importance of developing our domestic energy resources, and transformed our government institutions to support private sector involvement in  the energy industry. In just a few years, a robust and thriving small hydropower industry has emerged from these efforts. Despite this success, our energy sector remains vulnerable to price shocks and reliability problems, and climate change continues to threaten our natural resources and well-being.

Yet in the face of these risks, we have a great opportunity: much of Armenia’s conventional energy generation infrastructure will need to be replaced in the coming years. If we can replace some of this with indigenous renewable energy resources, we can improve energy security while simultaneously reducing our contributions to global climate change. Furthermore, we can leverage our scientific and technical talent to build domestic renewable energy industries that will create new employment opportunities for years to come.

At this crucial juncture, the Scaling-up Renewable Energy (SREP) Investment Plan will assist us as we chart a new future for Armenia’s energy industry. This Investment Plan identifies the renewable energy technologies and projects that can best contribute to the Government’s energy, economic and environmental development goals. As such it is an update and further elaboration of the Renewable Energy Roadmap developed in 2011. It outlines the activities that must be carried out to realize a new energy future by deploying technologies that have as of yet only been implemented on a small scale, but which have enormous potential. Particular focus has been given to minimizing risk for private investors in renewable energy, and to initiatives that can help reduce domestic consumption of imported fuels. SREP will support the Government  in reaching its goals for the energy sector, and help leverage private sector funds to exponentially expand investment in clean, domestic energy resources.

The SREP Investment Plan was developed collaboratively in consultation with representatives from Government, private industry and academia. Our development partners, the WBG, the EBRD, and the ADB provided expertise and support that was critical to the successful creation of the plan. I thank these institutions and I look forward to their continued support in this timely and important initiative.

Armen Movsisyan Yerevan, April 2014

Table of Contents

Appendices

Annex A : Project Concept Briefs         64

Annex B : Assessment of Absorptive Capacity         84

Annex C : Stakeholder Consultations         88

Annex D : Co-Benefits         90

Annex E : Existing Activities in the Field of Renewable Energy          92

Annex F : Assumptions Used in Estimating Levelized Energy Costs          93

Annex G : Comments from Independent Technical Reviewer          100

Tables

Table  1.1:  Renewable  Energy  Generation   Capacity   and   Production Targets 2020-2030         3

Table 1.2: Financing Plan          8

Table 1.3: Renewable Energy  Resource  Potential  in  Armenia  by Technology         9

Table 2.1. Power Company Tariffs in Armenia, 2009-2012 (AMD/kWh) (excluding VAT)           20

Table  2.2.  Feed-in-Tariffs   for   Renewable   Energy   Systems,   2013 (excluding VAT)           21

Table 2.3: End-User Tariffs, VAT inclusive          21

Table 3.1: Renewable Energy  Resource  Potential  in  Armenia  by Technology         22

Table 3.2: Concessional, Commercial and SREP/Commercial Financing Assumptions         27

Table 3.3: Levelized Energy Cost Ranges  of  Various  Solar  Power Technologies in Armenia, Assuming Mixed SREP/Commercial Financing         31

Table 3.4. Barriers to Renewable Energy  Development  and  Mitigation Options         33

Table  3.5:  Renewable  Energy  Generation   Capacity   and   Production Targets 2020-2025           37

Table 4.1: Ranking of Renewable Technologies Against Selection Criteria          42

Table 4.2: Ranking of Renewable Technologies Against Selection Criteria          43

Table 6.1: Indicative Financing Plan          55

Table 7.1: Summary of Projects’ Responsiveness to SREP Criteria          56

Table 9.1: Risk Assessment of the SREP Program in Armenia          59

Table 10.1: Results Framework for the SREP Program in Armenia          63

Table 10.2: Indicative Financing Plan for Geothermal Power Project          68

Table 10.2: Timeline for Geothermal Exploratory Drilling Project          69

Table  10.3:  Indicative  Financing   Plan   for   Utility-Scale   Solar   Power Project         79

Table  10.3:  Indicative  Financing   Plan   for   Utility-Scale   Solar   Power Project         80

Figures

Figure 1.1: Renewable Energy Resources Supply Curve for Armenia, Commercial,         Mixed         Commercial/SREP         and         Concessional Financing                                             10

Figure 2.1. Annual Change in Real GDP, 2002-2012          11

Figure 2.2. Structure of the Electricity Sector of Armenia          15

Figure 2.3: Natural Gas Consumption by End-Use          17

Figure 2.4. Natural Gas Import Price and Domestic End-User Tariff, 2005-2013         17

Figure 2.5: Net Generation and Consumption, 2006-2011          19

Figure 2.6: Forecast Gap between Installed Capacity  and  Winter  Peak Demand         19

Figure 3.1: Renewable Energy Supply Curve for Armenia, Concessional Financing Assumptions, LEC of Less Than US$0.10/kWh           27

Figure 3.2: Renewable Energy Supply Curve for Armenia, Commercial Financing Assumptions, LEC of Less than US$0.20/kWh           28

Figure 3.3: Renewable Energy Resources Supply Curve for Armenia, Commercial,         Mixed         Commercial/SREP         and         Concessional Financing                                             29

Figure 3.4: Renewable Energy Resources Average  Supply  Curve  for  Armenia (Mixed Commercial/Concessional Financing)           30

Figure  3.5:  Comparative  Cost  of  Renewable   and   Non-Renewable Heating Technologies           31

Figure 10.1: Solar Zones          74

1     Proposal Summary

This document contains the Investment Plan (IP) for the Republic of Armenia. The IP is the result of extensive analysis led by the Renewable Resources and Energy Efficiency Fund (R2E2) and a wide-reaching internal and public consultation process, led by government, to identify priorities in the development of renewable energy technologies for electricity and heating. The consultations included a wide range of government agencies, as well as representatives from the private sector, civil  society, and academia. The IP serves as an update and further elaboration of the Renewable Energy Roadmap developed for Armenia in 2011.

1.1           The Role of Renewable Energy in Armenia

Armenia’s energy sector has made significant progress in the last two decades. The sector has moved from severe crisis—characterized by crippling supply shortages, and near-financial bankruptcy of the sector—to stability more characteristic of developed countries than emerging markets. The use and development of  renewable energy has been an important part of the transition from crisis to  stability, and will remain important in the years to come as demand grows and ageing thermal plants are retired.

The historic importance of renewable energy in Armenia

Armenia has no proven oil or natural gas reserves and imports all of its fuel for thermal generation from Russia and Iran. The country relies on imported natural gas to generate roughly 30 percent of its power and most of its heat. Nuclear fuel, which is used to generate another 30 percent of electricity in Armenia, is also imported. The remaining electricity is generated by a series of hydropower plants in the Sevan- Hrazdan and Vorotan cascades, more than 130 small hydropower plants, and one small wind farm.

Armenia’s dependence on imported fuels creates security of supply risks as well as affordability problems for customers. The sector is highly susceptible to fuel supply interruptions and price volatility. Between 1991 and 1996—because of disruptions in gas supply—customers suffered through several of Armenia’s brutal winters with little more than two hours of electricity supply per day. Meanwhile, the import price of natural gas has continued to increase. The increases of the price of imported gas meant steady increases in end-user tariffs for natural gas and electricity. Between 2005 and 2013, the end-user natural gas tariff increased by 170 percent. End-user residential tariffs for electricity increased 52 percent during the same time period.

The Government of Armenia has worked for more than a decade to expand the use of renewable energy. A 2004 Law on Energy Savings and Renewable Energy in 2004 provided for, among other things, the establishment of the Renewable Resources and Energy Efficiency Fund (R2E2), a non-governmental agency dedicated to promoting and facilitating renewable energy and energy efficiency in Armenia. R2E2, with the support of the World Bank and GEF, implemented a Renewable Energy Program that helped to remove barriers to the development of renewable energy generation, and create an enabling environment for private investors. The project was co-financed by EBRD and local private financing institution.

In 2007, the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) set renewable energy feed-in tariffs for small hydropower plants (SHPPs), wind, and biomass to stimulate private investment. The feed-in tariff regime guarantees purchase all of the power generated by renewable energy plants for 15 years. Tariffs are adjusted annually in line with changes in inflation and exchange rates. The feed-in tariff has been successful in attracting private investment in more than 200 MW of small hydropower. More recently, Government took steps to streamline the process of developing renewable energy projects, including relaxing tax obligations for some investments.

The future of renewable energy in Armenia

The historic threats to supply security and affordability are expected to continue in Armenia. Therefore, the Government’s commitment to developing  renewable energy remains as strong as before and there is now more urgency, given a looming gap between supply and demand.

Demand grew at an average annual rate of roughly 4 percent between 2004 and 2013, and is expected to continue to grow at a rate of around 2 percent per year. New supply will be needed since 50 percent of available capacity is more than 40 years old, and one of the largest generating units in the system, the remaining nuclear unit at Metsamor, is in urgent need of investments. Metsamor’s retirement has been postponed twice, most recently from 2021 until commissioning of the new nuclear power plant (expected in 2026) because of the difficulty in securing financing for it. If Metsamor is retired in 2026, Armenia can expect a supply gap of roughly 830 MW, considering the base-case forecast average annual peak demand growth of roughly 2 percent per year.

Natural gas prices, too, are expected to increase. Specifically, the import price of natural gas could increase by more than 50 percent over the next 12 years  depending on the domestic gas price increase in Russia and the US inflation to which the Armenia border gas price is linked to. This will affect the cost of power generation. The current average cost of generation in Armenia is roughly US$ 0.035/kWh, but is set to increase to US$0.08-0.19/kWh as gas prices increase, and a new nuclear plant is brought online in 2026. The range reflects different assumptions about the size of the new plant, and whether concessional or commercial financing is used to finance it. The above estimated range of average generation cots suggest that geothermal power and utility-scale solar PV may become cost-competitive options (see Figure 1.1) for meeting forecast electricity demand in Armenia.

The Government’s renewable energy strategy is driven by the overarching goals of improving energy security, ensuring tariff affordability, and maximizing the use of Armenia’s indigenous energy resources. A 2013 Decree of the President of Armenia approved an “Energy Security Concept” for the country, which prioritizes the use of renewable energy resources. The Government’s Development Strategy for 2012- 2025 specifically calls for the development of indigenous renewable energy resources.

Table 1.1 shows Government’s targets for various renewable energy technologies. Excluding output from the large hydroelectric plants, renewable energy generation represented roughly 6 percent of total generation in 2012. The Government’s  target

is for such generation to represent 21 percent of total generation by 2020, and 26 percent by 2025.

Table 1.1: Renewable Energy Generation Capacity and Production Targets 2020- 20301

The targets shown in Table 1.1 update the 2011 Renewable Energy Roadmap for Armenia, developed in cooperation with R2E2, with the support of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and the World Bank. Targets have been updated in this IP because a number of factors, global and local to Armenia, have changed since the development of the Roadmap. There is, for example, more information now about the solar, geothermal, and wind resources in Armenia than there was when the Roadmap was produced. Wind resources, in particular, have shown to have lower capacity factors than previously thought, making them more expensive on a levelized energy cost (LEC) basis. Solar PV has, in contrast become more attractive. The capital costs of utility-scale solar PV projects have declined substantially over the past few years, shifting more of the technically viable solar potential toward financial viability. As a consequence, Government’s priorities in the years to come are likely to shift away from wind and toward solar PV.

1.2         SREP’s Role in Removing the Barriers to Renewable Energy in Armenia

Armenia faces a number of barriers to the further development of renewable  energy. SREP funding can be instrumental in helping to remove or at least weaken a number of these barriers.

Barriers

One of the most significant barriers to renewable energy in Armenia is the high cost of investment relative to the currently low cost electricity generation mix in the country. Tariffs are low because many of the thermal plants generating electricity  are fully depreciated and need only to recover variable costs. This will change as new generation plants are brought online and tariffs are raised to reflect their capital costs. In the meantime, however, the low cost of generation makes it difficult for consumers to understand the need for higher-cost renewable energy generation which will satisfy –at least initially—only a small portion of demand. This is a   barrier

_{1 Excludes generation from the large hydro cascades.}

of perception which, as described below, Government can overcome with SREP’s assistance.

There are also legitimate concerns about affordability. The global economic crisis increased the already high incidence of poverty in Armenia. Between 2008 and 2010, the poverty incidence increased from 27.6 percent to 35.8 percent of the population, and severe poverty grew from 12.6 percent to 21.3 percent of the total population.2 Energy poverty—in which households spend more than 10 percent of their budgets on energy—affects nearly 30 percent of Armenian households. The poorest quintiles of the population allocate a relatively higher share of their budgets to electricity than rural households. These households are likely to experience more significant pressures on their budgets as a result of increased energy tariffs. A recent World Bank study has estimated that, when a new thermal plant is built, tariff increases could result in increases in poverty of 1-8 percent, depending on the sources of financing used, the gas price, and the technology (nuclear or gas) built first. Higher tariffs also have environmental consequences in Armenia. The historical experience in Armenia is that poorer, rural households have switched—at least temporarily—to traditional fuels (mostly firewood, collected illegally) when electricity and gas tariffs increase. Armenia’s forests shrunk by roughly half during the years of energy crisis, and now the forests cover only roughly 10 percent of total area of the country.

Another important barrier is the lack of experience with many renewable energy technologies. There is no experience building and operating utility scale solar PV or geothermal in the country. The lack of experience creates, or reinforces several  other barriers, namely:

• The absence of regulatory incentives for certain technologies. The Law on Energy guarantees cost recovery through tariffs, but feed-in tariffs were never set for some renewable energy technologies because of perceptions about cost and the absence of long-term financing opportunities. Solar PV, for example, was not initially thought to be commercially viable, and so was not, until recent years, a priority in Armenia.
• Limited capacity for equipment acquisition and installation. Limited experience with certain technologies limits the expansion of solar PV and large scale geothermal. It also substantially raises the costs of doing first projects in these technologies.
• A lack of technical capacity among local financiers. The success of the SHPP program is owed, in part, to the good quality of technical assessments completed by local commercial banks in programs supported by the World Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Germany’s Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW). Local commercial banks do not, however, currently have capacity to assess other types of RE projects.

_{2 The poor are defined as those with consumption per adult equivalent below the upper general poverty line; the severely poor are defined as those with consumption per adult equivalent below the lower general poverty line. The poverty line in 2010 was computed using the actual minimum food basket and the estimated share of non- food consumption in 2009.}

• A lack of confidence in certain technologies. The lack of experience with RE technologies makes potential developers, property owners and energy users skeptical of these technologies and uninclined to take the risk of being the first to use them.
• Underdeveloped local markets for certain technologies. The lack of experience in certain technologies also means that there are no markets for services or expertise required to develop projects using certain technologies. Whereas the technologies themselves are typically imported, project development requires local expertise in engineering design, procurement and installation. The market for such services is extremely thin in Armenia.

These barriers do not exist for all technologies, nor do all of the barriers listed above affect any single technology. There is some experience, for example, with small hydro, wind, and biomass.

SREP’s Role in removing barriers

The Government is asking SREP for support in facilitating the scaling-up of a subset of renewable energy technologies identified in this Investment Plan. The technologies were selected because they met a number of criteria, identified  through comprehensive analyses and stakeholder consultations, which aligned well with SREP’s objectives. Of these criteria, the potential for scale-up of the technology, the cost-effectiveness of the technology and the immaturity of the market were of key importance. The Government is not asking for support in markets, which are already developed (such as small hydro), or technologies, which show limited scale- up potential (such as landfill gas). The Government may seek to promote development of many of these technologies on its own or through financing facilities already provided through the multilateral development banks (MDBs), but has not requested SREP support for them.

SREP support will be critical in reducing the cost of technologies that lie at the threshold of competing with the expected future cost of generation in Armenia. As noted above, the next large thermal (gas or nuclear) plants to be built in Armenia will be substantially higher cost than current generating costs. SREP funding can help overcome the perception that high-cost renewable energy technologies are an unnecessary expense, as well as concerns about affordability. For technologies, such as geothermal power and utility-scale solar PV, the initial projects will help to reduce resource and performance risks, develop local markets and expertise, and provide Government the impetus and opportunity to put in place reforms—in particular appropriate tariffs—to support their development. As experience with the new RE technologies increases in Armenia, project development costs can be expected to decline, and for some technologies, such as solar PV, local production may also emerge. The eventual development of service providers and, possibly,  manufacturers of RE technologies will have obvious follow-on benefits for Armenia’s economy as a whole.

Finally, SREP support will be critical in creating a demonstration effect for technologies that are relatively unknown in Armenia, and in funding directly—or by attracting other donor funding for—capacity building.

1.3         The Proposed Investment Program for Armenia

The Government of Armenia, led by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (MENR) and supported by the MDBs, has identified two areas for strategic investment that would lead to scale-up. The areas were identified through comprehensive analysis of RE technologies and a participatory process involving a wide range of government agencies, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and the private sector. The participatory process included many one-on- one meetings, a workshop with the Government’s SREP working group, as well as an open forum.

The technologies identified

Each of the potential renewable energy resources were evaluated against five criteria, and prioritized accordingly. The five criteria reflect the Government’s strategic objectives, and the clear recognition that SREP funding should be used to overcome barriers to technologies that will have the potential to have a transformative impact on the energy sector. The criteria considered were: cost- effectiveness of the technology, the potential for scaling up the technology, the maturity of the market, the potential for job creation, and the effect of each technology on the stability of the grid. Two investment priorities emerged from the analyses and the discussions with stakeholders. These are as follows:

1. Geothermal Power Development. SREP resources would be used for further exploration of Armenia’s most promising Karkar geothermal site (in the South- East), thereby, attempting to demonstrate the viability of geothermal energy in Armenia if the exploratory drilling at Karkar confirms availability and quality of resource for power generation. Of the known potential geothermal sites in Armenia, the Karkar site has been the most comprehensively assessed through surface studies and was assessed to be the highest-potential site to date, with possible output estimated at around 28.5 MW. Exploratory drilling is required to confirm the availability and quality of the resource for power generation. By using SREP grant funding for drilling, the Government can help reduce the risk of developing the site. If a geothermal resource exists at the site, this support can help make geothermal power a financially attractive investment for private investors and an affordable source of electricity.3 This support will serve to demonstrate the feasibility of geothermal power in Armenia and can catalyze development of the other perspective geothermal sites..
2. Development of Utility-Scale Solar PV. SREP resources would be used to develop roughly 40-50 MW of utility-scale solar PV. The rapid decline in solar PV costs in recent years has made utility-scale solar PV more competitive with the other power  generation  options  available  to  Armenia.  Therefore,  it  is    strategically

_{3 The exact commercial arrangement will need to be developed through further consultation within government, with donor partners, and with potential investors. However, the arrangement currently envisaged would involve a private operator having a BOT or BOO agreement under which they finance, build and operate the power plants and have a power purchase agreement with the transmission company, HVEN. Government would own the steam fields, thereby taking risk on the resource availability. The SREP funding would be used  to hire a transaction advisor to help structure, tender, and negotiate the BOT/BOO.}

beneficial for Armenia to develop its capacity to scale-up this technology. SREP support would help catalyze private investment in first new plants, and show the potential for deploying solar PV on a commercial basis. A utility-scale commercial project would not only enable the country to take advantage of this technology in the future when its costs decline even further, but reduce costs for future  projects because of learning effects.

Therefore, SREP support is sought to allow the Government to develop solar projects. The grant would be used for feasibility studies, including site measurements and monitoring, and to develop projects itself. Initial studies indicate that the areas in the vicinity of Lake Sevan have some of the highest solar irradiance in Armenia, and would be considered as a first potential area for development, but more site-specific analyses will be needed to identify specific projects.

Additional donor financing will be sought to complement the SREP contribution, as well as private sector equity and commercial debt. SREP financing would be used in much the same way that MDB funds were used to successfully jump-start the small hydropower industry in Armenia nearly a decade ago. The expectation is that, as with small hydropower, once the domestic capacity to deploy solar PV is developed and the financial market is comfortable with the technology, the market will take off. The SREP contribution and donor financing will also be essential to softening the effect on tariffs of the first solar plants.

Table 1.1 presents a plan for financing the projects described in Section 5. It shows the proposed contributions or grants from SREP as well as estimates of the amounts anticipated from MDBs and the private sector.

As the table shows, roughly US$40 million of SREP funding is expected to catalyze nearly four times as much investment, most of it from the private sector (as equity  or debt), and the commercial lending windows of the MDBs.

Table 1.2: Financing Plan

4 Assuming Flash cycle design of the plant. Source of capital cost estimate: “Economic and Financial Appraisal of the Potential Geothermal Power Plant at Karkar ,” Nov. 2012; GeoFund 2: Armenia Geothermal Project.

Scale-up potential

The scale-up potential of each RE technology in Armenia depends ultimately on how much of a resource is available, how much of that resource is commercially viable, and what the transmission grid can sustain. Table 1.3 shows the total estimated technical potential for renewable energy technologies in Armenia.

Table 1.3: Renewable Energy Resource Potential in Armenia by Technology

a The resource potential depends on which solar PV technology is deployed: Fixed PV, Single-Axis Tracking PV or Concentrating PV

b Assumes flash technology is used. The actual capacity cannot be known without exploratory drilling.

The geothermal capacity estimates are based on results of estimates for three potential sites, for which some geo-technical information was available. The potential can be significantly larger given several other potential sites, which have not been explored at all.

c Solar PV and CSP were evaluated as options for development in the same areas. Therefore, the total resource potential includes only the generating potential for one of these technologies (Solar PV). For this reason, the total is not the same as the sum of the resource potential listed for each technology.

Not all of this technical potential will be ultimately commercially viable. As noted above, the cost of generation in Armenia is likely to increase substantially as new thermal or nuclear generation is brought on line and older thermal plants are  retired. Figure 1.1 shows a supply curve of the cost of renewable power resources in Armenia assuming concessional, commercial and mixed financing assumptions. By way of  reference,  Armenia’s  average cost of generation is  expected to range  from USD$0.08/kWh – US$0.19/kWh when a new nuclear plant is put into service  in 2026.5

Solar is not yet cost competitive under purely commercial financing assumptions, but the combination of several factors could make it more so in the near future. The factors include: (i) new, higher-cost thermal plants being built to serve demand in Armenia; (ii) lower solar installation costs that will result as a domestic industry develops around it; (iii) lower financing costs as lenders become more comfortable with the technology, and (iv) potential further reductions in the global costs of PV panels. SREP support can help Armenia nurture its solar industry so that, as these factors converge, Armenia can look to utility-scale solar as a commercially viable alternative to some thermal power generation.

Figure 1.1: Renewable Energy Resources Supply Curve for Armenia, Commercial, Mixed Commercial/SREP and Concessional Financing

5   As noted above, the cost depends on the size of the plant, and whether concessional or commercial financing  is used to finance it.

2     Country Context

The Republic of Armenia is a mountainous, landlocked country of 30 thousand km2 located in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia.6 Armenia borders Georgia in the North, Azerbaijan in the East, Turkey in the West, and Iran in the South. Prior to the fall of the USSR, Armenia was a Soviet Republic for 70 years. Armenia gained independence in 1991.

Armenia has a population of 3 million and a population density of 102 people per km2. It is one of the most densely populated countries in the region.7 The majority of the population lives in urban areas and approximately 38 percent of the population lives in the capital city, Yerevan.8 From 2000 to 2010, the population of Armenia decreased by an average of 0.4 percent annually and increased by 2 percent from 2010 to 2012. Population growth is projected to remain flat in coming years, and the World Bank projects population increase of less than 1 percent by 2025.9

Armenia experienced strong economic growth in 2002-2008, but was severely affected by the global financial crisis. Real GDP grew, on average, 12.2 percent annually from 2002 to 2008, but declined 14.1 percent in 2009. Armenia has experienced moderate growth since 2009, but, despite annual increases, growth rates have not recovered to pre-crisis levels. Figure 2.1 shows the annual change in real GDP from 2002 to 2012.

Figure 2.1. Annual Change in Real GDP, 2002-2012

Source: The World Bank, “World Development Indicators,” accessed 7 July 2013.

The main drivers of economic growth in Armenia include: construction, retail services, mining, manufacturing and agriculture. These sectors were some of the hardest  hit  by  the  financial  crisis,  with  construction  and  agriculture     remaining

6 The Government of the Republic of Armenia, “Geography,” http://www.gov.am/en/geography/

7 The Government of the Republic of Armenia, “Demographics,” http://www.gov.am/en/demographics/

8 The World Bank, “World Development Indicators Database,” Accessed August 2013.

9 The World Bank, “Health Nutrition and Population Statistics: Population estimates and projections Database,” Accessed August 2013.

depressed in the post-crisis period. Poverty levels also increased as a result of the crisis, with the percentage of the population living below the poverty line increasing from 27.6 percent in 2008 to 35 percent in 2011.10 Urban areas other than Yerevan host the largest share of the approximately 1.2 million poor in Armenia. Targeted social assistance, such as the Poverty Family Benefit Program (PFBP), has helped mitigate the poverty impacts of the global crisis. Poverty among FB recipients increased by 7 percent in 2008 to 2010 compared to the 30 percent increase for the population as a whole.

Energy poverty affects almost 30 percent of Armenian households. Energy poverty refers to households spending more than 10 percent of their budgets on energy. Armenia’s targeted social assistance program, known as the Poverty Family Benefit Program (PFBP), helps to reduce poverty among vulnerable households. Government has also used the PFBP in conjunction with other measures, to help alleviate energy poverty. Beginning in 2011, a lifeline tariff for natural gas consumption was introduced for PFBP beneficiaries.11

2.1         Energy Sector Legal, Regulatory and Institutional Framework

The energy sector is expected to play a critical role in achieving the strategic objectives of the Government of Armenia (GoA) in coming years. Section 2.1.1 describes the GoA’s strategic objectives for the energy section and the importance of the energy sector in achieving national development objectives. Section 2.1.2 describes the institutional and legal framework of the energy sector of Armenia.

2.1.1      Strategic Objectives of the Government of Armenia

Energy security is a central concern of several strategic planning documents in Armenia. The 2013 National Energy Security Concept outlines the GoA's strategies  for achieving energy security through fuel diversification, building up fuel reserves and reserve generation capacity. The Concept identifies the  promotion, development and investment in renewable energy technologies as critical to  Armenia diversifying its energy supply and achieving energy independence.

The Armenian Development Strategy (ADS) and National Security Strategy (NSS) also emphasize the importance of renewable energy and energy efficiency in addressing energy security. The ADS and the NSS outline the GoA strategic objectives for economic growth, poverty reduction, and national security. Both policies highlight the fundamental importance of the energy sector in achieving these objectives. Strategic objectives of the ADS and NSS for the energy sector in the 2012-2017 time period are:

• Increase of energy security;

10 National Statistical Service of the Republic of Armenia, "Statistical Yearbook of Armenia, 2004-2012," www.armstat.am.

11 The poor covered by PFBP were given discounts on their natural gas consumption. From April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2013, the discount applied to the first 300 cubic meters consumed. From April 1, 2013 till July 6, 2013, the discount applied to the first 75 cubic meters consumed. From July 7, 2013 to December 31, 2014 the discount applied to the first 450 cubic meters.

• Development of renewable energy, including increased efficiency of existing hydropower potential and creation of alternative sources of energy supply;
• Improvement of system reliability;
• Development of regional trade;
• Replacement of depreciated power plants;
• Promotion of energy efficiency;
• Further development of nuclear energy.

Several energy sector strategic documents identify concrete targets for achieving the GoA’s stated objectives in the sector. These documents include: (i) Energy Sector Development Strategy within the Context of the Economic Development in Armenia, approved by the GoA in 2005, (ii) the National Program on Energy Saving and Renewable Energy, approved in 2007, and (iii) the Action Plan of the MENR of the Republic of Armenia in line with the National Security Strategy, approved in 2007.

2.1.2      The History of Sector Reforms

Armenia’s energy sector has made significant progress in the last two decades. The sector has moved from severe crisis—characterized by crippling supply shortages, and near-financial bankruptcy of the sector—to stability more characteristic of developed countries than emerging markets.

In 1992, customers had only 2-4 hours of electricity supply per day; most households depended on firewood or electricity for heating. Fiscal and quasi-fiscal subsidies for the energy sector were a major drain on the state—about 11 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Collections were around 50 percent, and nearly 25 percent of all power produced disappeared before the meters as commercial losses (mostly electricity theft).

Since 1996, 24-hour electricity service has been restored and gradually customers have switched to cheaper, more efficient gas heating. Meanwhile, tariff increases and operating efficiency improvements have helped create commercially viable service providers, technical and non-technical losses have decreased, and collections have increased. Now the energy sector is one of the largest taxpayers in Armenia. Supply security has also improved with new regional gas and electricity interconnections, thermal plant construction and rehabilitation, and growth in renewable energy generating capacity (primarily small hydro).

A series of ambitious reforms made this transition possible. The principal reforms were:

• Unbundling and privatization of the power sector. By March 1995, efforts began on unbundling the power system and privatizing the power sector; Armenergo, the state-owned vertically integrated utility, was separated into generation and distribution entities. In March 1997, a Presidential Order and new Energy Law formalized separate generation, distribution, transmission and dispatch. During 2002-03, ownership of several major generating plants was transferred from the Government in exchange for US$96 million in state debt forgiveness.
• Establishment of a sector Regulator. A Presidential Order and the Energy Law enacted in 1997 established an independent energy sector regulator, the Armenian Energy Regulatory Commission (AERC). The Law on the Regulatory Body for Public Services, enacted in 2004, changed the name of the regulator to the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) and expanded its authority to other sectors, including water, drainage and sewage, telecommunications, and rail transport.
• Supporting financial sustainability. Three steps were essential to increase collections, reduce commercial losses and improve the overall financial sustainability of the sector. These included:

–          Installing meters. Between 1997 and 1998, twelve thousand new tamper- proof meters were installed throughout the power system at a variety of voltage levels down to 0.4 kV. Residential customer meters were relocated to public areas. An Automated Metering and Data Acquisition System (AMDAS) was installed in 2001 and linked to a settlement center to facilitate accurate meter reading at the 110 kV and above.

–          Bringing tariffs to cost recovery levels. In 1994, Armenia began a gradual transition to cost-based tariffs by bring household tariffs to the average  level of other retail tariffs. A schedule was established for further household tariff hikes. Since 1999, household tariffs have generally remained well above the overall average tariff.

–          Increasing transparency in collections and billing. The Electricity Distribution Company (EDC) installed a computerized customer information system to better track utilization and billing. In 1999, the EDC established a new collection scheme requiring bill payments at post offices instead of cash payments at local EDC offices, which reduced opportunities for collusion between customers and EDC inspectors.

The use and development of renewable energy has also been an important part of the transition from crisis to stability. In 2007, the PSRC set renewable energy feed-in tariffs to stimulate private investment in renewable energy. The feed-in tariff, and MDB financing through local banks, helped to jump-start a previously non-existent small hydropower industry. The framework for renewable energy feed-in tariffs is described in more detail in Section 2.3.

In 2004, Government passed the Law on Energy Saving and Renewable Energy. This is the main legal act on renewable energy in Armenia. Its main objectives were to:

• Strengthen the economic and energy independence and security of Armenia
• Increase the reliability of energy systems in Armenia
• Establish and develop industrial infrastructure and service organizations for promoting energy saving and RE
• Reduce adverse impacts on the environment and human health as a result of technological developments

The Law also provided for the establishment of the R2E2 Fund. The R2E2 Fund was formed in 2006. The role of the R2E2 Fund is discussed in more detail in Section 2.1.3

2.1.3      Institutional Framework in the Energy Sector

The MENR and the PSRC are the key entities regulating the energy sector. The MENR is responsible for developing primary legislation and main policy documents guiding energy sector activities, including system planning and investment planning for state-owned entities. The Ministry of Finance approves allocation of financing for public and publicly-guaranteed energy sector investments recommended by the MENR. The PSRC regulates the water, electricity and natural gas sectors, and as part of its responsibilities, sets both end-user and supply-side power sector tariffs. The PSRC allows for recovery of power system investment costs through the tariff.

The electricity sector consists of nine publicly and privately-owned generation companies, one state-owned transmission company, one privately-owned distribution company, a state-owned system operator and a state-owned settlement center. The gas sector remains vertically integrated. ArmRusGazprom, the gas company fully owned by the Russia’s Gazprom, imports gas from Russia and Iran,  and owns and operates the gas transmission and distribution networks in Armenia. Figure 2.2 shows the structure of the electricity sector in Armenia.

Figure 2.2. Structure of the Electricity Sector of Armenia

Armenia’s market framework is based on the “single buyer model” with regulated tariffs for generation, transmission, and distribution. Under this market framework, the Electricity Networks of Armenia (ENA) acts as the single buyer of electricity through contracts with generating companies at prices regulated by the PRSC. The Settlement Center monitors energy flows and ensures timely payment delivery between all sector entities. The System Operator dispatches generators taking into account the economic dispatch order of plants as well as plants’ operational constraints.

In the renewable energy sector, the R2E2 Fund plays a critical role. The R2E2 Fund is an independent organization which facilitates investments in renewable energy by sponsoring renewable energy studies and projects, and supporting local    renewable

energy companies and stakeholders. Among numerous other projects, the  R2E2 Fund implemented the project for development of SHPPs in Armenia,  comprehensive surface exploration at the Karkar geothermal site, as well as the assessment of hydropower resource potential and the evaluation of the potential for solar PV manufacturing and bioethanol production in Armenia, and some other renewable energy related studies.

2.2         Energy Supply and Demand

Armenia relies on electricity and gas to meet the majority of its energy consumption needs. The industrial, residential and transport sectors account for 85 percent of final energy consumption in Armenia.12 Industry relies on a combination of electricity and gas to meet its energy needs. Residential households rely on a mix of electricity and gas for heating, cooking and hot water and electricity for lighting and other household appliance. The transport sector relies on oil and gas with 75 percent of the automobile and truck fleet using compressed natural gas (CNG).

The following subsections describe energy consumption in Armenia in further detail. Sections 2.2.1 and 2.2.2 describe the supply and demand characteristics of gas/heating and electricity, respectively.

2.2.1      Gas and Heating

Armenia has no proven oil or natural gas reserves and imports most of its fossil fuel resources from Russia and Iran. ArmRusGazprom, 100% owned by Gazprom, and the state-owned Yerevan TPP are the only companies licensed to import gas. ArmRusGazprom is the sole distributor of natural gas in Armenia. The company manages 10,483 km of gas pipelines and has approximately 640,000 consumers.13  The residential sector is the largest consumer of natural gas in Armenia, followed by industry, electricity generating plants, and transportation. Figure 2.3 shows the breakdown of natural gas consumption in Armenia, by sector.14

12 Energy Institute of Armenia, Energy Consumption Data, 2013.

13 PSRC. 2010. The Gas Sector of Armenia. http://www.naruc.org/international/Documents/13 Gas system in Armenia-ENGLISH.pdf.

14 http://www.iea.org/stats/gasdata.asp?COUNTRY_CODE=AM

Figure 2.3: Natural Gas Consumption by End-Use

Source: Public Services Regulatory Commission

The import price of natural gas from Russia increased consistently in recent years, which has resulted in steady increases in domestic end-user tariffs for natural gas. From 2005 to 2013, the end-user natural gas tariff increased by 164 percent15. Figure

2.4 shows the import price of natural gas and the natural gas tariff for domestic end- users from 2005 to 2013.

Figure 2.4. Natural Gas Import Price and Domestic End-User Tariff, 2005-201316

Note: End-user represents low use customer consuming less than 10,000 cm per month Source: Public Services Regulatory Commission of the Republic of Armenia (PSRC),

http://www.psrc.am/en

15 For end-user consuming less than 10,000 cm per month.

16 Fluctuations in the end-user tariff in USD that are not correlated with fluctuations in the import price of natural gas are caused by annual AMD to USD exchange-rate fluctuations.

Armenian households heat primarily with natural gas and electricity Armenia’s district heating network, which used to provide heat supply for roughly 55 percent of Armenia households, has fallen into disrepair. Many heat supply companies went bankrupt and closed following the economic and energy blockade that occurred during the early 1990s. As a result, many households switched to individual heating solutions using electricity and, more recently, natural gas. In 2005-2011, the share of natural gas in the heating fuel mix has increased from 10 percent to 70 percent, displacing firewood, electricity and other fuels, thanks to a rehabilitation and extension of the gas distribution network.

2.2.2      Electricity

Armenia’s electricity system has 3,319 MW of installed capacity, and 2,530 MW of available generating capacity. Electricity is produced by three generation sources: nuclear (roughly 30 percent), thermal (roughly 30 percent), and hydropower (nearly 40 percent). Available capacity is low compared to installed capacity because due to the age and poor condition of many generating plants, significant share of installed generating capacity is non-operational. Roughly 50 percent of available capacity is more than 40 years old.17 Many of the largest generating assets will need to be  retired soon. The Government has already discontinued operation of old and inefficient units at Yerevan TPP and plans to retire the old units at the Hrazdan TPP by 2017. The nuclear plant is scheduled to remain online until 2026 because of a lack of alternatives, although it will require approximately US$300 million of investments to continue functioning. The share of thermal and hydropower plants in the capacity and production mix has increased in recent years because new plants have been  built and Armenia has experienced good hydrological conditions over the past several years.

The NPP provides baseload capacity. Other HPPs, including the Vorotan Cascade and several HPPs in the Sevan-Hrazdan Cascade, provide daily load regulation, while thermal plants operate to meet shoulder peak especially in the winter and to serve baseload for several weeks in autumn when the NPP goes offline for maintenance. The Hrazdan-5 and Yerevan CCGT plants also generate electricity for export under the gas for electricity swap arrangement with Iran.

Demand grew steadily over the past decade, but dropped in 2008 as a result of the global financial crisis. Electricity consumption in Armenia grew 4.5 percent annually from 2004–2008, but consumption fell 7.4 percent in 2009 as a result of the financial crisis. Consumption has since increased, growing 5 percent and 3 percent in 2012 and 2013, respectively.18 Figure 2.5 shows Armenia’s electricity balance including net generation, consumption, exports, imports and transmission and distribution losses.

17 Estimated based on available capacity of plants greater than 10 MW.

18 PSRC. Main Characteristics Indicators.

Figure 2.5: Net Generation and Consumption, 2006-2011

Source: Public Services Regulatory Commission

Given the growth in demand and the need to retire ageing generating assets, Armenia will potentially face a capacity gap to meet the peak. At least 170 MW of new capacity will be needed by 2018 to meet peak demand and maintain an adequate reserve margin. An additional 830 MW of new capacity will be needed starting from 2026 when the existing NPP is retired. Figure 2.6 shows the expected gap between generation and consumption. Figure 2.6 shows the expected gap between available capacity and winter peak demand.

Figure 2.6: Forecast Gap between Installed Capacity and Winter Peak Demand

Source: MENR

2.3         Electricity Cost and Pricing

The PSRC is responsible for setting and reviewing tariffs in the electricity sector, including tariffs for all companies in the sector as well as end-user tariffs. According to the Energy Law, a tariff should cover:

The PSRC or the Licensee can request a tariff review every six months. Once requested, a tariff review request must be submitted within 90 days. The PSRC is authorized to set long-term tariffs for more than six-months if it is considered necessary to provide investment security. Once a tariff is set, licensees cannot  appeal the size of a tariff. The only recourse for altering an assigned tariff is to petition the PSRC’s tariff methodology. Table 2.1 shows power company tariffs in Armenia from 2009 to 2013.

Table 2.1. Power Company Tariffs in Armenia, 2009-2012 (AMD/kWh) (excluding VAT)

Source: Public Services Regulatory Commission of the Republic of Armenia (PSRC), “Calculation of Electricity Tariffs,” 2009-2012.

In 2007, the PSRC set renewable energy feed-in tariffs to stimulate private investment in renewable energy. New generating plants sign 15-year power  purchase agreement (PPA) under which ENA is obliged to pay the generator for all the power produced. According to the feed-in tariff methodology, the PSRC must adjust feed-in tariffs annually in line with changes in inflation and the USD to AMD exchange rate. Table 2.2 shows current feed-in-tariffs for all renewable energy systems in Armenia.

Table 2.2. Feed-in-Tariffs for Renewable Energy Systems, 2013 (excluding VAT)

Source: PSRC

The PSRC also sets tariffs for end-users. End-user tariffs are  time-differentiated tariffs in which users pay different day-time and night-time rates. In July of 2013, the PSRC increased end-users tariffs for the first time since 2009. Table 2.3 shows  current end-user tariffs in Armenia.

Table 2.3: End-User Tariffs, VAT inclusive

Source: Public Services Regulatory Commission of the Republic of Armenia (PSRC), “Electric Power Tariffs,” accessed 3 July 2013. http://www.psrc.am/en/?nid=213

3     Renewable Energy Sector Context

Armenia has significant indigenous renewable energy resources, and an educated workforce with extensive scientific and engineering expertise. Furthermore, the Government has taken proactive steps in recent years to craft laws and regulations designed to reform the power sector to enable private sector involvement in renewable energy technology development. However, Armenia’s renewable energy sector faces a number of important barriers to renewable energy deployment, primarily related to the availability of financing, the regulatory framework for renewable energy, the high cost of renewable energy technologies and public awareness of the potential benefits of renewable energy technologies.

This section describes Armenia’s renewable energy sector, and includes an assessment of the potential for different renewable energy options, a description of Armenia’s business environment for renewable energy, as well as a description of  the barriers facing renewable energy development in Armenia.

3.1         Analysis of Renewable Energy Options

An assessment of available data on renewable energy resources in Armenia was carried out to support the preparation of the IP. This section details the results of that assessment and describes progress to date on deploying renewable energy technologies in Armenia.

Table 3.1shows the total estimated technical potential for renewable energy in Armenia.

Table 3.1: Renewable Energy Resource Potential in Armenia by Technology.

a The resource potential depends on which solar PV technology is deployed: Fixed PV, Single-Axis Tracking PV or Concentrating PV

b Assumes flash technology is used. The actual capacity cannot be known without exploratory drilling.

The geothermal capacity estimates are based on results of estimates for three potential sites, for which some geo-technical information was available. The potential can be significantly larger given several other potential sites, which have not been explored at all.

c Solar PV and CSP were evaluated as options for development in the same areas. Therefore, the total resource potential includes only the generating potential for one of these technologies (Solar PV). For this reason, the total is not the same as the sum of the resource potential listed for each technology.

3.1.1      Small Hydropower

Small hydropower is the most widespread renewable energy technology deployed to date in Armenia except for large hydropower. Small hydropower contributes approximately 6 percent of Armenia’s annual electricity generation. As of April 2013, Armenia had 136 small hydropower plants (small HPPs) with a total capacity of 221 MW and annual generation of 665 GWh. Roughly 60 percent of this capacity has been added since 2008. Additionally, the PSRC has licensed the construction of 77 new projects, which could potentially add approximately 168 MW of small HPP capacity and 592 GWh of annual generation.19

Over 90 MW of undeveloped small hydropower projects with a potential for generating almost 300 GWh have been identified throughout Armenia in addition to the operating and licensed projects.

3.1.2      Wind

Armenia has a number of areas with promising wind resources. The most promising areas that have been identified and characterized to date are Zod Pass, Karakach Pass, Pushkin Pass, Sisian Pass and the Fontan region. Together these sites are estimated to have 150 MW of developable resource potential, with estimated capacity factors ranging from 21 to 31 percent, depending on the site.20

The private companies Zodwind and Arenergy have completed feasibility studies for wind plants in Armenia. Two other private companies, SolarEn and MVV-Decon, have conducted wind measurement projects. However, to date no private companies has moved forward with wind plant development in Armenia.

Armenia’s only operating wind project is the 2.64 MW Lori 1 plant. Lori-1 was built in in December 2005 under a grant from Iran. The plant has a capacity factor of approximately 11 percent and generates 2.5 GWh per year.21

3.1.3      Geothermal Power

Armenia has no installed geothermal power plants, but comprehensive geo-technical studies suggest that geothermal resources suitable for power production may exist  at a number of sites, including the most promising    Karkar, Jermaghbyur, and Grizor

19 Public Services Regulatory Commission of Armenia, “Construction of small hydro companies operating indicators” and “Main Indicators of Producing small hydroelectric power companies operating” April 1, 2014

20 R2E2, “Renewable Energy Roadmap for Armenia Task 4 Report,” May 2011

21 USAID, “Wind Energy In Armenia: Overview of Potential and Development Perspectives,” March 2010

sites, as well as along the Armenian-Georgian border. In 2009-2011, comprehensive surface investigation works were conducted for Karkar site, including field scouting, magneto-telluric sounding (MT), independent interpretation of MT results, three- dimensional (3D) MT sounding, independent interpretation of the results of 3D MT sounding as well as early-stage economic and financial appraisal. Evidence  from these activities indicates that a geothermal resource exists at the site, and can only be confirmed through exploratory drilling. The key conclusions and recommendations of those studies were also reviewed by a third party – Iceland Geosurvey (ISOR), which confirmed the robustness of the methodology for the  above studies and the key conclusion that exploratory drilling is needed to confirm the resource and its characteristics. The World Bank/ESMAP Global Geothermal Development Plan TA Program supported the Government to prepare a drilling program for Karkar site, including test well options, drilling and associated consulting services required, contracting arrangements, and costs.

The Total geothermal resource potential of three geothermal sites that were explored to some extend has been estimated to be at least 150 MW. However, it is important to note that because of the limited exploratory activities and information about Armenia’s geothermal resources, this is a very rough estimate, which relates only to three potential sites for which information was available, and the actual geothermal resource potential could be much larger.

3.1.4      Solar PV

Armenia has good solar PV resources, with annual average global horizontal irradiation (GHI) ranging from 1,490 kWh/m2 to over 2,100 kWh/m2. By comparison, average annual GHI in Europe is 1,000 kWh/m.2 The total resource potential for utility-scale solar PV is over 6,500 MW.

Assuming polycrystalline solar PV modules mounted at a fixed angle to the sun are deployed in ground-mounted utility-scale plants, solar PV systems could achieve capacity factors of 20 to 24 in Armenia (dependent on location). If single-axis  tracking solar PV technology is deployed, capacity factors could be as high as 30 percent.

In addition to utility-scale solar PV, distributed solar PV mounted on building  rooftops could also be deployed throughout Armenia, although these plants would likely have higher costs and lower capacity factors than large-scale, ground-mounted plants.

Solar PV deployment in Armenia to date has been limited to relatively small-scale rooftop-based installations at schools, hospitals, office buildings and municipal sites throughout Armenia.22 It is estimated that less than 100 kW of solar PV is currently operational.23

22 USAAA/US Embassy/EcoTeam/UNDP/GEF, “Use of Renewable Energy Sources in the World and Armenia Through Innovations to Clear Technologies,” 2010

23 Preparation of Renewable Energy Development Roadmap for the Republic of Armenia Task 2 Report,” February 2011

3.1.5      Concentrating Solar PV and Concentrating Solar Thermal Power

Although Armenia has good resources for solar PV, Armenia receives relatively low direct normal irradiation (DNI) compared to most of the locations where concentrating solar thermal power (CSP) is successfully deployed.24 Armenia’s annual DNI ranges from 1,410 kWh/m2 to 2,453 kWh/m2. The minimum DNI level threshold for viability for CSP plants that is generally accepted in the industry is 2,200 kWh/m2. Only one area in the South-Eastern corner of Lake Sevan receives DNI above this threshold. However, overall Armenia has rather poor resources for CSP and for this reason this technology is not considered a viable option for development.

Concentrating solar PV (CPV) also does not appear to be a favorable technology option in Armenia compared with the other available solar PV technologies. Like CSP, CPV also takes advantage of DNI resources. An analysis of the theoretical performance of CPV plants deployed in Armenia revealed that CPV is expected to have lower capacity factors than flat-plate solar PV installations (fixed axis or single- axis tracking), and CPV is also expected to have higher capital costs than these technologies.

3.1.6      Biomass

Armenia’s biomass resources that could potentially be used for power generation consist of forestry residues (fallen wood and sanitary cuttings) and crop  residues from grain farming. Dedicated energy crops have also been considered as a potential biomass resource in Armenia, but preliminary estimates suggest that cultivating crops for fuel would be very high-cost.

The biomass resource assessment suggests that there are sufficient forestry residues to support a 4 MW power plant in Armenia and sufficient grain crop residues to support a 25 MW power plant. However, it would be necessary to transport forestry and crop from all around the country to central locations and there is currently no established infrastructure to do this. Therefore, it is expected that it would be logistically difficult to collect biomass resources for power generation, and that the collection costs from transporting the fuel would make fuel costs very high.

3.1.7      Biogas

Armenia has the potential for biogas-based power production at livestock farms, at the Nubarashen landfill (in the city of Yerevan) and at the Aeratsia wastewater treatment plant (in the city of Yerevan). In 2010, the GEF/UNDP identified three livestock farms as potential candidates for biogas-to-energy   projects, with a combined resource potential of 3.3 MW. These plants would be similar to the Lusakert biogas plant, which is Armenia’s only operating industrial-scale biogas-to- energy plant, located at the Lusakert poultry farm.

24 Direct Normal Insolation (DNI) is energy that travels directly from the sun without interruption. Rays of direct insolation are parallel, and concentrating solar collectors (both concentrating PV and concentrating solar power) collect the parallel rays onto a receiver. Solar energy which is not direct is called diffuse insolation, and it is carried by rays which have been scattered or reflected. Concentrating solar collectors are unable to collect these oblique rays of diffuse insolation, but flat plate collectors (solar PV) can absorb both DNI and diffuse insolation and convert them to usable energy. The DNI is relatively low in Armenia compared to other parts of the world where concentrating solar is being deployed. This means that in Armenia more of the energy of the sun is scattered by clouds or haze before it can hit a solar collector. Additionally, Armenia’s latitude causes the sun to stay lower in the sky than in other parts of the world. The lower sun means that the direct insolation must pass through more atmosphere and so the energy is ’diluted’ by striking the solar collector at an angle.

The other potential source of biogas energy in Armenia is the Aeratsia wastewater treatment plant. The plant is currently dilapidated and largely non-functioning, but if the plant were to undergo significant rehabilitation and anaerobic digesters are installed at the facility, it is expected that a 3 MW cogeneration plant could be constructed at the facility.

3.1.8      Geothermal Heating/Cooling Technologies

Armenia has significant potential for geothermal heating and cooling in residential buildings. If land is available, geothermal heat pumps could theoretically be  deployed anywhere and could cover a large portion of Armenia’s space heating and cooling load. Furthermore, Armenia is estimated to have high quality geothermal resources. The coefficient of performance (COP) for geothermal heating in Armenia is reportedly 5.0 to 6.0. By comparison, the average COP in Russia is around 3.5.25

Only one existing large-scale geothermal heating project has been implemented in Armenia. In 2009, an 860 kW geothermal heat pump was installed at a commercial building in Northern Avenue in Yerevan.

3.1.9      Solar Thermal Heating Technologies

There is significant potential for solar thermal hot water heating technologies in Armenia. This technology has been deployed in a number of demonstrations over  the past decade, but the total penetration is small (less than 4 MW of total installed capacity) and the technology has yet to gain widespread commercial acceptance.26 Recent solar thermal heating projects in Armenia include the implementation of GEF-funded systems at a housing development and a school in the Shirak region.27

3.2         Costs of Renewable Energy

The comparative cost of renewable energy technologies is an important factor when determining their viability and attractiveness for inclusion in Armenia’s energy portfolio. This section presents supply curves that  show the levelized  energy costs of the various renewable energy technologies assessed in Armenia for the preparation of the Investment Plan under different sets of financing assumptions. The financing assumptions used are shown in Table 3.2. Additional assumptions are shown in Annex F. 

25 The coefficient of performance is the ratio of the amount of energy recovered from a geothermal heating system to the amount of energy input to the system to operate it. A higher coefficient of performance means that a geothermal system more efficiently transfers heat from the ground to an indoor space.

26 USAAA/US Embassy/EcoTeam/UNDP/GEF, “Use of Renewable Energy Sources in the World and Armenia Through Innovations to Clear Technologies,” 2010

27 The GEF Small Grants Programme, “SGP Armenia Supports the Use of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Practices,” 2010; The GEF Small Grants Programme, “Transferring Experience on Practical Implementation of Low-Carbon Technologies in Basen Community of Shirak Region,” 2013 (LECs)

Table 3.2: Concessional, Commercial and SREP/Commercial Financing Assumptions

* Synthetic debt rate used to model a financing structure in which 35 percent of project capital costs are financed with commercial debt at 10.69 percent interest (and a 15-year loan tenor), and 35 percent of project capital costs are financed with SREP capital contributions at 0.25 percent interest and with a 40-year loan tenor and a 10-year grace period.

Figure 3.1 shows a supply curve of renewable power resources in Armenia with LECs of less than US$0.10/kWh, assuming concessional financing assumptions.

Figure 3.1: Renewable Energy Supply Curve for Armenia, Concessional Financing Assumptions, LEC of Less Than US$0.10/kWh

*Assumes Fixed PV

Figure 3.2 shows a supply curve of renewable power resources with LECs of less than US$0.20/kWh, assuming commercial financing assumptions.

Figure 3.2: Renewable Energy Supply Curve for Armenia, Commercial Financing Assumptions, LEC of Less than US$0.20/kWh 

*   Assumes Fixed PV

Figure 3.3 shows a supply curve of the cost of renewable power resources in  Armenia assuming concessional, commercial and a combination of SREP and commercial financing assumptions.28 This demonstrates the effect of different financing assumptions on the levelized energy cost of renewable energy resources, and the magnitude of the effect of SREP capital contributions on levelized energy costs. 

28 Note that the relative position of certain renewable energy options with respect to each other in the supply curve is different in the commercial and concessional supply curves. This is because the effect of changes to financing assumptions is different for different technologies, dependent on the proportion of  each technology’s LEC that comes from capital costs and the proportion that comes from operating costs. When the capital cost of a technology makes up a particularly large portion of that technology’s LEC, increases in the cost of capital increases that technology’s LECs more than it does the LECs of technologies for which operating costs are a higher proportion of their LECs.

Figure 3.3: Renewable Energy Resources Supply Curve for Armenia, Commercial, Mixed Commercial/SREP and Concessional Financing

*   Assumes fixed PV

Figure 3.4 show the average LEC of renewable energy resources in Armenia over the life of each energy project assuming mixed SREP/commercial financing assumptions, as well as the range of estimates of the cost of generation in 2026, when the a new nuclear plant would need to come on line to replace the Metsamor nuclear power plant. 29 This figure is intended to provide a more general picture of the comparative costs of different renewable power technologies in Armenia.

29 The range reflects different assumptions about the size of the new nuclear plant, and whether concessional or commercial financing is used to finance it.

Figure 3.4: Renewable Energy Resources Average Supply Curve for Armenia (Mixed Commercial/Concessional Financing)

Note that there are several uncertainties associated with the data presented in the figures. The geothermal energy resource potential shown in this supply curve has not yet been proven to exist, and the size of the resource potential shown here is largely speculative. Furthermore, the potential for wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) energy is contingent on the completion of upgrades to the Aeratsia WWTP, the costs of which are not included here. Finally, the cost of transportation for biomass fuels is highly uncertain, and the costs provided above might not accurately reflect this.

It is also important to note that only the fixed-axis PV technology is shown in the supply curves above, but the potential for three other solar technologies was also assessed: single-axis tracking solar PV, concentrating solar PV and  concentrating solar thermal power. These technologies were assumed to be deployable in the  same areas—each solar technology was treated as a technology option that could be used to take advantage of a certain amount of solar resource. Fixed PV was the lowest cost of all these technologies, so it is the only technology included in the supply curves above. Table 3.3 shows the comparative minimum, average and maximum levelized energy costs for each of the utility-scale solar technologies assessed in Armenia.

Table 3.3: Levelized Energy Cost Ranges of Various Solar Power Technologies in Armenia, Assuming Mixed SREP/Commercial Financing

The LECs of each solar technology vary depending on the location where the technology would be deployed, which determines the solar resource and therefore each technology’s theoretical capacity factor

Figure 3.5 shows the cost of renewable heating technologies in Armenia compared with the cost of heating with electricity, natural gas, firewood and coal.

Figure         3.5:         Comparative         Cost         of         Renewable         and         Non-Renewable         Heating Technologies

3.3         Barriers to Renewable Energy Projects

Armenia faces numerous barriers to the further development of renewable energy systems despite the country’s significant renewable energy resource potential and history of past success in the development of a robust domestic hydropower industry.  Table  3.4  describes  some  of  the  most  significant  barriers hindering the development of renewable energy in Armenia. For each barrier, there is also a corresponding discussion of possible mitigation options.

Table 3.4. Barriers to Renewable Energy Development and Mitigation Options

3.4         Government Strategy for the Renewable Energy Sector

The Government’s renewable energy strategy is driven by the overarching goals of improving energy security, ensuring affordable energy supply, and maximizing the use of Armenia’s indigenous energy resources. As described in Section 2.1, several key strategic documents—the 2013 National Energy Security Concept, the Armenian Development Strategy, and the National Security Strategy—specifically call for the development of indigenous renewable energy resources.

In the past few years the Government has acted on its commitment to deploy renewable energy technologies by implementing the Feed-In Tariff for certain technologies: wind, biomass, and hydropower. The Government has also undertaken regulatory reforms and amendments to tax laws that have streamlined the renewable energy project development process. For instance, in recognition of the fact that Water Use Permits and PSRC operating licenses had different durations and this was causing uncertainty among developers, a process has been created  to obtain a Water Use Permit with the same duration as the PSRC permit.30 The Government also enables wind energy developers to postpone VAT payments for imported equipment for three years.31

Table 3.5 shows Government’s targets for various renewable energy technologies. Excluding output from the large hydroelectric plants, renewable energy generation represented roughly 6 percent of total generation in 2012. Government’s target is  for such generation to represent 21 percent of total generation by 2020, and 26 percent by 2025.

Table 3.5: Renewable Energy Generation Capacity and Production Targets 2020- 202532

The targets shown in Table 3.5 update the 2011 Renewable Energy Roadmap for Armenia, developed in cooperation with R2E2, with the support of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and the World Bank. Targets have been updated in this IP because a number of factors, global and local to Armenia, have changed since  the development of the Roadmap. There is, for example, more information now about the solar, geothermal, and wind resources in Armenia than there was when the Roadmap was produced. Wind resources, in particular, have shown to have lower capacity factors the previously thought, making them more expensive on a levelized energy cost (LEC) basis. Solar PV has, in contrast become more attractive. The capital costs of utility-scale solar PV projects have declined substantially over the past few years, shifting more of the technically viable solar potential toward financial viability. As a consequence, Government’s priorities in the years to come are likely to shift away from wind and toward solar PV.

30 USAID, “Small Hydropower Sector Framework, Status, Development Barriers and Future Development 2012 Update,” March 2012

31 USAID, “Wind Energy Development in Armenia: Legal, Regulatory, Tax and Customs Regulations,” April 2010

32 Excludes generation from the large hydro cascades.

Armenia has been successful in attracting substantial private sector participation in the renewable energy sector. For renewable energy projects, this participation has primarily been through small hydropower projects. However, there are also a number of private companies that manufacture and install solar thermal heaters, geothermal heating and cooling equipment and distributed solar PV in Armenia.

There are also several examples of successful private sector participation in non- hydropower renewable energy projects. The Lusakert biogas plant was developed by a consortium of organizations, some of which were private Armenian companies.  The methane capture and flare gas plant at the Nubarashen landfill was funded by foreign donors, but it is currently operated by an Armenian company. A number of small solar thermal hot water and solar PV projects have been developed by private companies in Armenia over the years. Recently, a private company developed an 860 kW geothermal heat pump system in a large commercial building on Northern Avenue in Yerevan.

A number of commercial banks support renewable energy projects in Armenia by providing loans to project developers. As mentioned above, the lack of long-term financing at attractive interest rates is one major barrier to the development of privately-owned renewable energy projects in Armenia and the expansion of existing financing programs for renewable energy would encourage growth in the sector.

3.6         On-going and Planned Investments by Development Partners

Several multilateral and bilateral donors are actively involved in promoting renewable energy in Armenia. The following subsections describe these donors and their areas of involvement.

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

EBRD is actively involved in Armenia’s energy sector promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy. Current and recent activities include:

• Rehabilitation of Sevan-Hrazdan HPP. EBRD is co-financing the rehabilitation of the Sevan-Hrazdan cascade with ADB’s PSOD.
• Development of small hydropower plants (HPPs). EBRD provided US$7 million to Cascade Bank (now America Bank) for on-lending to Armenian companies developing SHPPs under the Renewable Energy Project. These funds, combined with a World Bank loan of US$5 million, US$3 million equity investment from a private investor, and US$13 million co-financing from project developers, which enabled to develop 25 SHPPs with total installed capacity of 45 MW.33 The Renewable Energy Project included also US$3 million GEF grant to help create enabling environment for development of renewable energy.  Specifically, the  GEF grant helped to: (a) improve the regulatory environment for renewables; (b) develop and adopt technical standards for renewable energy and regulations for dispatching and load-regulation of grid-connected renewable energy plants;    and

(c) remove information barriers to investments in renewable energy, including creation of GIS database of RE resources, SHPP scheme, feasibility studies and resource assessments (e.g. competitive advantage of Armenia in solar PV value chain, assessment of technical and economic viability of biofuels, etc.),

• Regulatory support to promote renewable energy. EBRD provided technical support to the PSRC on feed-in tariffs (FiT) and third party access (TPA) regulations.

KfW

KfW’s engagement in Armenia’s energy sector currently focuses on developing and maintaining renewable energy resources and financing transmission investments to support regional cooperation. Specific areas of recent and potential investment in the field of renewable energy include:

• Construction and rehabilitation of SHPPs. KfW provides financing and advisory support for construction and rehabilitation of privately-owned SHPPs. Under Phase 1, KfW supported 14 SHPPs through several commercial banks. Phase 2, currently under implementation, is expected to finance up to 20 SHPPs with a total capacity of 45 MW. Phase 3, currently in the planning stage, will include up to EUR 40 million in financing and may be expanded to cover financing for wind projects.

World Bank/International Finance Corporation (IFC)

• The World Bank Group has two decades of engagement in supporting power sector reforms and clean energy development in Armenia. The World Bank’s and IFC’s recent engagements in Armenia’s energy sector have focused on development of renewable energy resources and promoting energy efficiency through rehabilitation of transmission infrastructure and, more recently, demand-side efficiency measures. As mentioned above, IFC provided US$15 million to Ameriabank CJSC, resulting in the development of 12 SHPPs with over 40 MW capacity. More recently, the World Bank provided a US$ 1.5 million to fund technical field investigation studies for potential geothermal sites in Armenia.

Global Environment Facility (GEF)

The GEF’s Small Grants Programme (SGP) provided grants for two solar thermal heating projects in the Shirak region of Armenia.

• Solar Thermal Heating System in a Housing Development. In 2010, the GEF provided  a  grant for  US$30,970  to  complete energy efficiency upgrades  and the installation of a solar thermal heating system at a housing development. In the first winter of its implementation the project reduced natural gas consumption by 40 percent.

• Solar Thermal Heating System in a Kindergarten. Starting in 2013, the GEF provided a grant for US$33,920 to develop a multi-purpose solar thermal hot water system to provide heated water to a kindergarten. As part of the project a solar thermal heating system will be installed at a greenhouse next to the building. The intention is that this project will serve as a demonstration of the potential for using solar thermal technologies to heat greenhouses.

4     Prioritization of Renewable Energy Technologies

The Government of Armenia, led by the MENR and supported by the MDBs, has identified four areas for strategic investment that would lead to scale-up.

The areas were identified through a participatory process involving a wide range of government agencies, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and the private sector. The participatory process included many one-on-one meetings, a workshop with the Government’s SREP working group, as well as an open forum.

The subset of “technically viable” resources was selected from those described in Section 3. These were geothermal and solar thermal heating, utility-scale solar PV, geothermal power, small HPPs, agricultural biogas, landfill gas, wind and distributed PV. These resources were evaluated against five criteria on a scale of 1 to 4, with 1 indicating that the resource met the criteria best of all resources and 4 indicating  that it met the criteria worst of all resources. The five criteria reflect the Government’s strategic objectives, and the clear recognition that SREP funding should be used to have a transformative impact on the renewable energy sub-sector.

The criteria considered were:

• Potential for scale-up of the technology. The amount of developable resource potential relative to the other technologies, as measured by production potential (GWh). Resources with higher production potential were given higher priority.
• Market maturity/immaturity. The extent to which the technology is used or the resource is already exploited in Armenia, or there is financing already available from other donor programs. Resources or technologies which are already well-known and well-developed in Armenia (such as small hydropower generation), were given lower priority because they already had sufficient support or private sector interest. Resources or technologies which already have financing available through other donor programs (such as geothermal heat pumps, solar thermal heating and rooftop solar PV) were also given lower priority because there is already financing available through other MDB programs (such as financing available through local banks from EBRD and IFC).
• Cost-effectiveness. The cost of the electricity or heat generated by the technology, as measured by the levelized energy cost (LEC).34
• Potential for job-creation. The extent to which use of a technology or exploitation of a resource creates jobs.
• Effect on power grid stability. The extent to which certain technologies had a negative or positive impact on system operation and dispatch. Technologies with no impact, or a positive impact on grid stability were prioritized over  those with a negative impact.

34 The LEC is the present value of capital and operating costs for each technology, on a kWh basis.

Table 4.1 shows the quantitative rankings assigned to each technology under each criterion. The rankings were used as a rough guide for discussion only, using the assumption that each criterion had an equal weight. Ultimately, some of the highest- ranking resources (geothermal heat pumps and solar thermal, for example) were rejected because stakeholders recognized that substantial financing for such technologies already existed under MDB-financed programs or because (as is the case for SHPPs) substantial private sector activity already exists).

Table 4.1: Ranking of Renewable Technologies Against Selection Criteria

* A lower score indicates that a technology is determined to be more suitable for SREP funding according to the chosen selection criteria. A score of 1 indicates that a technology meets the criteria very well, and a score of 4 indicates that a technology meets the criteria worst of all technologies.

** Technologies were put scored on scale-up potential as follows: 10,000+ GWh/yr = 1, 1,000-10,000 GWh/yr = 2, less than 1,000 GWh/yr = 3, less than 100 GWh/yr = 4

Three investment priorities emerged from the analyses and discussions with stakeholders. These were: (1) geothermal power, 2) utility-scale PV and 3) geothermal heat pumps and solar heating. Table 4.2 provides brief explanations for why each technology received a particular ranking on each criterion.

Table 4.2: Ranking of Renewable Technologies Against Selection Criteria

5     Program Description

The prioritization exercise described in Section 4 has led to the selection of two focus areas: geothermal power and utility-scale solar PV. In order to overcome existing barriers to renewable energy deployment and to catalyze future investment and scale-up of the selected technologies in Armenia, the SREP investment program is built around the following five objectives:

1. Provide the Armenian renewable energy industry with a “window of opportunity” during which renewable energy project costs can be reduced through first-projects without significantly affecting the affordability of energy to consumers. This will enable future projects to be developed at lower cost without donor support.
2. Build capacity among local banks to finance renewable energy technologies and develop their abilities to do this in the future.
3. Build capacity among local industry to procure, deploy and make equity investments in renewable energy technologies.
4. Build public confidence in renewable energy technologies to create market demand
5. Encourage further reforms among regulatory agencies to support renewable energy scale-up after SREP funding/donor financing is gone.

This section describes the proposed projects, the transformational impact of each project, the activities envisioned for each, and the expected co-benefits and environmental and social risks associated with each technology.

Program Objective

The objective of the SREP Armenia IP is to catalyze private investment in technologies which, for lack of experience, high capital costs and a variety of other reasons, have not previously been considered as options in the country. SREP funds will be used to do first-projects in utility-scale geothermal power and utility-scale solar PV. In the process of developing these first projects, local capacity will be built in the financial and project development communities that will be crucial for the scale-up of these technologies after SREP and donor funding is expended. Furthermore, the demonstration effect of these first projects will serve to educate consumers on the benefits of renewable energy technologies.

SREP support can help to gradually introduce geothermal power and utility-scale solar PV by: (i) absorbing some of the project development risk on  geothermal power, through subsidization of exploratory wells, and; (ii) helping the finance the country’s first utility-scale solar PV projects to attract private investors while minimizing the tariff-impact.

Expected Outcomes

The main results expected from the SREP Armenia IP are as follows:

• Better security of supply and reliability by increasing the proportion of domestic renewable energy in the energy mix
• The creation of a utility-scale solar sector and geothermal power sector attractive to private investors.
• Develop the first utility-scale solar PV projects, which through gradual tariff increases (as the tariff levels in the country gradually increase to reflect long- run supply costs) will eventually become commercially viable without SREP/MDB support. These first projects will be so small as to have only a very minor impact on the overall cost of generation in Armenia, but could have a catalytic effect on the market for solar PV through:

–          Lower solar installation costs that will result as a domestic industry develops around it;

–          Lower financing costs as lenders become more comfortable with the technology; and

–          Potential further reductions in the global costs of PV panels.

The foreseen increase in thermal generation costs in Armenia will move solar toward financial viability. Armenia’s new thermal plants will require substantially higher tariffs than many of the existing plants, because they are fully (or near fully) depreciated and no longer recover depreciation charges. Moreover, existing plants do not require debt service through their generation tariffs, whereas new plants will require such provision.

• Contribution to reduction of impending supply capacity gap to meet forecast demand. As noted above, Armenia will need roughly 170 MW of new capacity by 2018 and 830 MW of capacity when the nuclear plant is retired in 2026.
• Improvement to the enabling environment for renewable energy technologies. The first utility-scale solar PV and geothermal projects will provide an opportunity for PSRC to streamline administrative procedures and fiscal  policies to encourage investment in a wider range of renewable energy technologies.
• Creation of jobs related to the construction/installation, operation and maintenance of renewable technologies. Education of the workforce in the deployment of these technologies. An indication of possible job creation in Armenia is provided in Annex D.
• Promotion of local R&D in a technology which has traditionally been a focus of researchers and academicians in Armenia
• Reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as compared to the business-as- usual scenario, under which Armenia will likely continue to expand the use of natural gas for power generation and heating.

The details of the three projects to be carried out are described in more detail  below.

5.1         Geothermal Power Exploration and Development

SREP resources would be used for further exploration of Armenia’s most promising geothermal site - Karkar. Prior studies suggest the existence of a geothermal resource at the site, but it is necessary to carry out exploratory drilling to confirm the availability and quality of the potential geothermal resource for power generation. The typical signs of a high temperature geothermal area are not present on the surface, however, the very low resistivity anomaly in the layer between 500-1,000 meters is an indication of a possible high temperature hydrothermal alteration. The real nature of the resource, whether high, low or intermediate temperature and its potential for power generation can only be confirmed through exploratory drillings.

By using SREP support for this activity, the Government can help reduce the risk of developing the site for the private sector. If a geothermal resource exists at the site, this support can help make geothermal power a financially attractive investment for private investors and an affordable source of electricity for Armenia’s grid.

The support can also serve to demonstrate the feasibility of geothermal power in Armenia. A first successful project can build domestic capacity in the development of additional geothermal resources in Armenia at Armenia’s other prospective geothermal sites. It will also build investor confidence that  geothermal is a viable  and profitable investment opportunity in Armenia.

5.1.1      Priority activities

The geothermal power project would include the following activities:

• Exploratory Drilling at Karkar Geothermal Site. This step requires carrying out exploratory drilling at the site to determine whether or not power could be produced from the resource.
• Feasibility Study for Karkar site. If the presence of a resource is confirmed, a full feasibility study will need to be prepared to recommend the type of geothermal technology/plant to be constructed, reassess the economic and financial viability, compliance with environmental and social safeguards, and to complete legal and regulatory due diligence. The legal and regulatory due diligence will include recommendations on the need for a feed-in tariff specific to geothermal or a recommended structure and method for procuring as a public private partnership in a way that determines the tariff through bidding (for example, a reverse auction). It will also be necessary to evaluate the potential for grid interconnection at the chosen site, and whether or not grid upgrades will be necessary for the potential geothermal power plant to be connected to the grid.
• Transaction Advisory Services. The Government would procure the project as  a Public Private Partnership (PPP). Therefore, advisory services will be needed to help structure the PPP (for example, as a Build-Operate-Transfer or Build- Own-Operate contract) and procure a private investor and operator. The exact commercial arrangement will need to be developed through further consultation within government, with donor partners, and with potential investors. However, the arrangement currently envisaged would involve a private operator having a BOT or BOO agreement under which they finance, build and operate the power plant and have a power purchase agreement with the distribution company. The Government would own the steam fields, thereby taking risk on the resource availability.
• Development of Geothermal Power Plant. As noted above, it is expected that the private sector will make the capital investment required for generation of electricity (the power plant itself). This investment plan assumes a plant with installed capacity of 28.5 MW, based on the average size of geothermal plants elsewhere. The actual size of the plant will depend on the resource potential identified in earlier activities.

5.1.2      Parallel activities to be funded by other parties

It is expected that the World Bank (IBRD), ADB or the commercial lenders within the MDBs (IFC in the World Bank Group, PSOD at ADB, or EBRD) as well as other commercial financial institutions may be able to finance some of the capital costs of the project as a way of making it more attractive to private investors.

The Government contributions may include, for example, land or co-financing of taxes. The MDB support may also include concessional lending to the Government for the transmission lines, or other infrastructure required at the site.

5.1.3      Environmental, social and gender co-benefits

The development of a geothermal power project at the Karkar site in Armenia would have a number of environmental, social and gender co-benefits. These are likely to be somewhat similar to the co-benefits of most of other renewable power  generation technologies, with some important exceptions. For instance, geothermal power provides base load generation, which does not require as much “back up” generation as variable renewable energy sources.

The geothermal project is expected to create the following environmental, social and gender co-benefits:

• Minimized land-use for energy generation. Compared with other renewable energy generating technologies, such as solar and wind, geothermal power uses a relatively small land area.
• Reduction of pollutant emissions. A geothermal power plant has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas as well as local particulate matter emissions from gas-fired power generation in Armenia. Although the majority of Armenia’s energy generation is from nuclear and hydropower sources, there is still the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Armenia’s operating natural gas-fired power plants by offsetting their generation with energy from a geothermal power plant.
• Job creation. Potential short-term job creation during exploration of the geothermal site. Potential for both short and long-term job creation during the development and operations of a geothermal plant. Given the remote location of the Karkar site, the project could help reduce rural unemployment in the surrounding areas.
• Targeted job creation for women. Potential for operational agreements for  the renewable energy projects to target the encouragement of jobs for women. For example, the concession contract with the private operator could include set-asides for women to make up a certain percentage of local staff.
• Energy security. By replacing existing electricity generation resources, a large portion of which relies on imported fuel that is subject to price fluctuation, geothermal power could act as a hedge against future natural gas and uranium price increases. This could help minimize the effect of these price fluctuations on domestic electricity tariffs and, thereby, help keep electricity service affordable for all consumers.

5.1.4      Environmental and social risks

The development of a utility-scale geothermal project at the Karkar site in Armenia is expected to have relatively limited environmental and social risks, especially compared with conventional and even other renewable energy technologies. However, significant gaps exist in the environmental and social risk analyses that have been conducted to date and the site should be studied in greater detail before the project implementation. Having said that, a preliminary review of available data related to the potential site and an analysis of the generic risks that face this type of project development suggest that the project will have relatively limited negative environmental and social risks. The impacts of this project are expected to be akin to those from any other large infrastructure project that takes place in a rural area, although with some notable exceptions. Specifically, the geothermal project is expected to face the following environmental and social risks:

• Environmental risks

–          Land subsidence (compaction of rock due to the withdrawal of groundwater).

–          Increased micro-seismic activity near the local area, including increased risk of landslides though excavations for geothermal well and laying of associated infrastructure and transmission networks.

–          Altered groundwater recharge/extraction regime if groundwater is used for energy generation (such as for steam generation or emissions cleaning) and is not later returned to the aquifer.

–          Water use during operations, which causes surface water abstraction, run- off and discharge leading to localized changes in river flows and morphology.

–          The potential for localized geological damage though excavations for geothermal well and laying of associated infrastructure and transmission networks.

–          During the construction stage, the project is expected to produce emissions due to material transportation and on-site plant movements (e.g. vehicle emissions, particulate matter and dust).

–          Construction activities have the potential for causing soil erosion and compaction. Localized erosion, compaction, salinization, sealing and/or contamination from site alteration and project activities could wash away fines and change the soil's properties. Furthermore, excavations for land- grading and foundations could mobilize previously contaminated soils.

–          Localized land-take from footprint of energy generation infrastructure. This could have footprint impacts upon species due to construction of power plant and related infrastructure.

–          Transformation of landscape.

• Social risks

–          Lack of a local workforce with the knowledge and skills capable to operate and maintain the plants. This might mean that it is necessary to import labor to the region to develop and operate the plant.

–          Impacts to traffic patterns during construction and operation (not expected near the site, as there is limited road infrastructure, but rather expected on the way to the site).

5.2         Utility-Scale Solar PV Project Development

SREP resources would be used to finance the development of 40-50 MW of utility- scale solar PV. The rapid decline in solar PV costs in recent years has made utility- scale solar PV more affordable and more competitive with the other power generation options available to Armenia. SREP support would help catalyze private investment in a first new plant (or plants), and show the potential for deploying solar PV on a commercial basis. Given recent trends in solar PV costs, solar PV is expected to become even more cost-competitive in Armenia and a demonstration project would enable the country to take advantage of this technology in the future when it becomes more cost-competitive with other technologies. SREP funds would be used in much the same way that MDB funds were used to successfully jump-start the  small hydropower industry in Armenia nearly a decade ago.

5.2.1      Priority activities

The utility-scale solar PV project would include the following activities:

• Project preparation, feasibility studies, site measurement and monitoring. SREP grant funds would first be used to fund more detailed resource assessments, and identification of possible sites and possible projects. As described in Section 3.3, relatively coarse resolution solar data are publicly available for Armenia. Given the nature of solar energy resources, these coarse data are generally acceptable for understanding the nature of the resource and conducting a high-level financial analysis. However, a feasibility study will be needed to characterize the solar resource potential in the areas targeted for solar development in more detail. Furthermore, it will be necessary to evaluate the potential for grid interconnection at the chosen site, and whether or not grid upgrades will be necessary before the project is interconnected. As for the geothermal power project, the feasibility study will also reaffirm the economic and financial viability, compliance with environmental and social safeguards, and to complete legal and regulatory due diligence.
• Transaction advisory. Transaction advisors would be hired to help government tender for the projects identified in the feasibility studies. Private operators would be procured through competitive tender. Bidders would be selected based on technical and financial criteria, the financial criteria being the level of tariff required or, alternatively, the level of concessional support required.35 Developers offering lower tariffs or requiring less concessional support would receive higher scores.

• Investment in 40-50 MW project or projects. Government would on-lend SREP funds at concessional rates to private operators bidding on the projects being tendered. The private operators would contribute equity and also source loans from commercial banks and from the commercial lending arms of the MDBs. Government estimates that, given current capital costs for utility-scale solar PV, SREP funds could be used with these other sources of financing to support roughly 40-50 MW of solar. As noted in Section 3, initial studies indicate that Gegharkunik Marz has some of the highest solar PV potential in Armenia, and would be considered as a first potential area for development. This could be a single plant, or several plants with a total capacity of 40-50 MW, as development of solar is often more effective if there are multiple sites, in areas with different solar profiles (to provide more stability by diversifying  generation profiles).

5.2.2      Parallel activities to be funded by other donors

As noted above, it is foreseen that, in addition to SREP support, the commercial lending arms of the MDBs will be willing to provide co-financing for the solar  projects.

As for the geothermal power project, Government can also be expected  to contribute in ways that reduce the overall capital expenditure required for the project (by providing land, for example or waivers of taxes).

5.2.3      Environmental, social and gender co-benefits

The development of a utility-scale solar PV project could have a number of environmental, social and gender co-benefits. These are likely to be somewhat similar to the co-benefits of other renewable power generation technologies. The solar PV project is expected to create the following social, environmental and gender co-benefits:

• Reduction of pollutant emissions. A solar PV plant has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas as well as local particulate matter emissions from gas-fired power generation in Armenia. Although the majority of Armenia’s energy generation is from nuclear and hydropower sources, there is still the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Armenia’s operating natural gas- fired power plants by offsetting their generation with energy from a solar PV power plant. Solar PV plants generate most of their energy during the middle  of the day, during some of the higher hours of energy consumption in Armenia. Solar PV could be used to offset the need to dispatch hydropower, saving hydropower generation to serve peaks in the mornings and evenings when otherwise more expensive thermal plants would be needed.

35 Bidders will be offered, as part of the conditions of tender, access to SREP capital contributions.

• Job creation. Potential short-term job creation during the development and operations of the plant. More importantly, there is considerably research and development (R&D) and interest in solar PV within Armenia’s academic institutions. A solar PV project could catalyze further research and development and facilitate the transfer of capacity for manufacturing, installation and operation to the local market.
• Targeted job creation for women. Potential for operational agreements for  the renewable energy projects to target the encouragement of jobs for women.
• Energy security. By replacing existing electricity generation resources, much of which relies on imported fuel that is subject to uncontrollable price fluctuation, solar power could act as a hedge against future natural gas and uranium price increases. This could help minimize the effect of these price fluctuations on energy tariffs and thereby help keep electricity service affordable for all consumers.
• Reduced water resource use. Solar PV does not require cooling water, which is required for most combustion-based energy sources including thermal plants. Unlike hydropower resources, solar PV does not divert or interrupt the flow of natural water courses. In general, development of solar PV will result in less disturbance and consumption of Armenia’s water resources than most other energy technologies currently used in Armenia, and some other renewable energy technologies.

5.2.4      Environmental and social risks

The development of a utility-scale solar PV plant in Armenia is expected to have relatively limited environmental and social risks, especially  compared  to conventional power generation technologies. For instance, the utility-scale solar PV projects are expected to have negligible emissions compared with fossil-fuel-based generation. However, there are no site-specific feasibility studies or other  documents that could have been drawn up on to provide a more detailed description of environmental and social impacts of potential solar PV project. A detailed environmental and social impact assessment, including mitigation measures, will be conducted as part of the preparation of each site-specific project.

Many of the environmental and social risks expected to arise from this project are site-specific. But, unlike the geothermal project, the site for this project has not yet been chosen. The fact that large swaths of Armenia’s land have reasonably high- quality solar energy resources suggests that there are many locations where this project could be implemented, and therefore it is expected that at least some of the environmental and social risks detailed here could be avoided by choosing a site where these risks would be minimized. Based on an analysis of the generic risks that are typically related to this type of projects, the solar PV project is expected to face the following environmental and social risks:

• Environmental risks

–          Construction-stage air emissions due to material transportation and on-site plant movements (e.g. vehicle emissions, particulate matter and dust).

–          Vegetation clearance during construction and placement of generating equipment and ancillary facilities in floodplains could increase catchment flooding potential.

–          Impacts from construction of power transmission lines to evacuate electricity generated by solar PV plants.

–          Footprint/land-take for solar generation infrastructure. Limited habitat re- growth potential due to presence of PVs. Fragmentation  of  ecosystems from footprint, access roads and transmission networks.

–          Disturbance of habitat during construction. Land-take footprint impacts upon terrestrial species.

–          Disposal of obsolete solar PV modules upon their decommissioning is a significant environmental issue, largely due to the presence of toxic chemicals in the discarded modules. Recycling methods for PV panels are in place within the industry and further developments are planned for future PV panels. However, if the used PV panels are not appropriately handled or recycled, then their disposal could cause environmental pollution with toxic waste and become a considerable risk in Armenia.

• Social risks

–          Given that solar PV is a new technology in Armenia, it is possible that there will be a lack of local labor supply to deploy the technology, and workers and supplies might need to be imported to the project site from outside Armenia. If this happens, this would minimize the economic and employment benefits of deploying this technology.

–          Solar PV plants have a large footprint relative to the amount of energy they generate. Thus, the deployment of a large-scale solar plant will impact landscapes over large areas. Local impacts on landscape character and  visual amenity might also be associated with ancillary development (buildings and pylons). This might affect property values if the plant is built near populated areas, or might have visual and land access impact on recreational activities such as hiking, eco-tourism, fishing and hunting. Impacts to landscape character might also lead to the loss of aesthetic value for areas with tourism potential and cause associated impacts on local tourism services.

–          Potential disruption due to noise and dust during construction, such as operational noise and vibration.

–          If the plant is built in an area where there is the potential for other land  uses such as mineral extraction, agriculture, or industry, then these alternative land uses will not be able to occur or will need to be delayed because of the presence of the solar facility.

–          Transportation of people and equipment might impact traffic patterns during construction near the project site.

6      Financing Plan and Instruments

Table 6.1 presents a plan for financing the projects described in Section 5. It shows the proposed credits and grants from SREP as well as estimates of the amounts anticipated from MDBs and the private sector.

As the table shows, roughly US$ 40 million of SREP funding is expected to catalyze roughly 4.5 times as much investment, most of it from the private sector (as equity or debt), and the commercial lending windows of the MDBs.

The financing modalities will be determined at the time of appraisal, but it is expected that:

• The geothermal exploratory drilling project will be funded through: (i) an SREP grant to government, or (ii) a guarantee to private sector entities, which might want to undertake the drilling as part of early site development. If suitable resource potential is found, the site would be financed by a private sector developer whose remuneration would be based on a feed-in-tariff or on the terms of a power purchase agreement. It is assumed that the private sector would use a mix of debt and equity for the investment.
• For the utility-scale solar project, it is foreseen that Government would on-lend SREP funds at concessional rates to private operators bidding on the projects being tendered. A reverse auction would be used to tender for bidders.36 The private operators would contribute equity and also source loans from commercial banks and from the commercial lending arms of the MDBs. Government estimates that, given current capital costs for utility-scale solar PV, SREP funds could be used with these other sources of financing to support roughly 40-50 MW of solar.

36 In a reverse auction, the lowest tariff bid or lowest required subsidy bid (if the tariff does not recover the full cost of service) is the principal deciding factor in selecting the winning bidder.

Table 6.1: Indicative Financing Plan

37 Assuming Flash cycle design of the potential plant. Source of capital cost estimate: “Economic and Financial Appraisal of the Potential Geothermal Power Plant at Karkar ,” Nov. 2012; GeoFund 2: Armenia Geothermal Project.

7     Responsiveness to SREP Criteria

The Investment Plan developed for Armenia is responsive to most of the SREP criteria. One of the SREP criteria, related to energy access, is not relevant to Armenia as nearly all Armenians have access to energy supply (electricity and gas).

Table 7.1: Summary of Projects’ Responsiveness to SREP Criteria

38 As noted earlier in the paper, however, the combination of several factors could make solar more cost- competitive in the near future. The factors include: (i) new, higher-cost thermal plants being built to serve

demand in Armenia; (ii) lower solar installation costs that will result as a domestic industry develops around it; (iii) lower financing costs as lenders become more comfortable with the technology, and (iv) potential further reductions in the global costs of PV panels. SREP support can help Armenia nurture its solar industry so that, as these factors converge, Armenia can look to utility-scale solar as a commercially viable alternative to some thermal power generation.

8     Additional Development Activities

The Government has carefully designed an IP that is complementary to the other activities of the MDBs, private sector, financial institutions and other donors. The IP builds on Armenia’s successful commitment to introducing a high level of private sector participation in the energy sector, and uses SREP resources to leverage  further participation.

The geothermal power project builds on the extensive preparatory work done by the Armenian government and the R2E2 Fund, much of it funded by the  GEF/World Bank. More specifically, the GEF/World Bank provided a US$1.5 million to finance technical field investigation studies for two potential geothermal sites in Armenia.

The utility-scale solar PV project recognizes the extensive research and development activities of Armenian academics in the field of solar, and the move in the generation sector to private financing and operation, rather than government ownership.

The modality of financing the utility-scale solar project leaves open the possibility for EBRD, IFC or ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department (PSOD) as well as other financial institutions to provide commercial debt financing that can be blended with the private operator’s equity and other commercial financing. Government can rely on the R2E2 Fund to help manage the additional work required to identify and prepare viable solar projects, and attract possible investors.

The modality of procuring the geothermal and solar projects can further benefit  from additional technical advisory services, potentially financed by MDBs, to help structure, tender, and negotiate the contracts with private investors and operators.

Lastly, but not least important, the IP builds on the successful sector reforms supported by donors over the past two decades. It recognizes the importance of scaling up renewable energy using commercial principles, and with transparent regulation that ensures accountability of service providers.

9     Implementation Potential with Risk Assessment

The implementation risk of the IP in Armenia is low to moderate. The most serious risks are related to the fact that the priority RE technologies in the IP are relatively new to Armenia, and had not, until recently, been considered as options. For example, utility-scale solar PV only recently became an option because of the rapid decline in capital costs (driven by changes in prices of raw materials as well as the dynamics of supply and demand for the technology itself).

Because the technologies had not previously been seriously considered, there is some risk related to the legal and regulatory environment, and the resource potential, as the data on geothermal and solar resource potential are still being collected.

Table 9.1 lists and describes the principal risks associated with Armenia’s IP, describes how to mitigate those risks, and evaluates the residual level of risk after the proposed mitigation measures are implemented.

Table 9.1: Risk Assessment of the SREP Program in Armenia

10    Monitoring and Evaluation

A monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system will be established by the Government,  in cooperation with the MDBs and other donor partners, for the purpose of tracking and reporting on progress in reaching SREP impacts and outcomes.

The M&E framework will be coordinated by the R2E2 Fund and involve the participation of MENR, PSRC, the National Statistical Service (Armstat), and commercial lenders with RE projects.

Table 10.1 summarizes the proposed monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework for Armenia’s SREP IP.39 Armenia is unique among other SREP applicants in that it has nearly 100 percent access to electricity. Armenia’s IP is therefore not about access to modern energy services but about using renewables to improve energy security and reliability, and reduce the future cost of supply.

Whereas Armenia may not benefit from substantially expanded access to modern energy services, it will however benefit from the reduced use of hydrocarbons for electricity production.

39 The indicators in the results framework are based on the SREP Revised Results Framework from June 1, 2012.

Table 10.1: Results Framework for the SREP Program in Armenia

Annex A: Project Concept Briefs

A.1         Geothermal Power Project

Problem Statement

Armenia has no proven oil or natural gas reserves and imports all of its fuel for thermal generation from Russia and Iran. The country relies on imported natural gas to generate roughly 30 percent of its power and most of its heat. Nuclear fuel, which is used to generate another 30 percent of electricity in Armenia, is also imported. The remaining electricity is generated by a series of hydropower plants in the Sevan- Hrazdan and Vorotan cascades, more than 130 small hydropower plants, and one small wind farm.

Armenia’s dependence on imported fuels creates security of supply risks as well as affordability problems for customers. The sector is highly susceptible to fuel supply interruptions and price volatility. Between 1991 and 1996—because of disruptions in gas supply—customers suffered through several of Armenia’s brutal winters with little more than two hours of electricity supply per day. Meanwhile, the import price of natural gas has continued to increase. The increases of the price of imported gas meant steady increases in end-user tariffs for natural gas and electricity. Between 2005 and 2013, the end-user natural gas tariff increased by 170 percent. End-user residential tariffs for electricity increased 52 percent during the same time period.

Therefore, geothermal energy can become an affordable source of base-load electricity that is generated utilizing indigenous resources, thus, contributing the country’s energy security. Private investors are typically not willing to assume the resource risk and do not finance exploratory drilling. With SREP support, the Government can confirm the resource and, if the resource is confirmed, pursue development of the geothermal power plant with private sector involvement.

Project Objective

The overarching objective of the Geothermal Power Project is to construct a geothermal power plant at Karkar site. The specific objectives are to: (a) confirm the availability of geothermal resource suitable for power generation; (b) if the resource is confirmed, then support feasibility study for the Karkar geothermal power plant and transaction advisory services to implement a PPP.

Scope of Work

The geothermal power project would include the activities described below. The SREP resources will be used to support Tasks 1-3 below.

Task 1: Exploratory Drilling at Karkar Geothermal Site:

This step requires carrying out exploratory drilling at the site to determine whether or not power could be produced from the resource. The exploratory drilling project involves the below key steps:

• Confirming the test well locations: This will require additional soil gas diffusion measurements and GeoRadar study to determine the precise location of the test wells drawing on recommended approximate locations of two test wells following   comprehensive   geo-technical   investigation   works   implemented under the GeoFund 2: Armenia Geothermal Technical Assistance Project. The Government plans to complete the above studies by September 2014.

• Environmental and social impact assessment. This will include assessment of environmental and social impacts of the exploratory drilling, including development of mitigation measures and management plan.
• Preparatory civil works. This includes construction of an access road, preparation of the rig site, and securing access to sufficient water supply.
• Drilling. This will include drilling of two exploratory wells to depths of up to 1,800 meters.
• Well logging and mud logging. This will include analyses of the cuttings from the borehole, hole temperature and pressure measurements and gathering of essential data (such as drilling progress, circulation losses, changes in flow line temperatures, pump pressure data, etc.), both as the drilling progresses and at the end of each drilling stage. This is for the purpose of having the best information at hand for decision making and problem-solving, as well as gathering all the information on the formation being drilled and estimating rock/brine temperatures. When the drilling is finished, an injection test will be performed to estimate if the permeability of the well is sufficient or not.
• Flow testing, chemical sampling and analysis: This will include an assessment of: (a) the possible power output of the well, the ratio between brine and steam, and (b) enthalpy. It will also include sampling of the brine to analyze the resource as well as estimation of possible problems during power production, such as scaling and/or corrosion. This will assist in deciding what kind of power conversion techniques should be used and if any additional installation, such as inhibitors, will be needed.
• Technical supervision: This will include hiring of a technical expert to be on site during the entire duration of the drilling to collaborating on daily basis on the site to ensure adherence of the drilling contractor to the requirements of the contract and making decisions on behalf of the Government in order to  prevent costly delays in the project.

Task 2: Feasibility Study for Karkar Site

If the presence of a resource is confirmed, a full feasibility study will need to be prepared to recommend the type of geothermal technology/plant to be constructed, reassess the economic and financial viability, compliance with environmental and social safeguards, and to complete legal and regulatory due diligence. The legal and regulatory due diligence will include recommendations on the need for a feed-in tariff specific to geothermal or a recommended structure and method for procuring as a public private partnership in a way that determines the tariff through bidding (for example, a reverse auction). It will also be necessary to evaluate the potential  for grid interconnection at the chosen site, and whether or not grid upgrades will be necessary for the potential geothermal power plant to be connected to the grid.

Task 3: Transaction Advisory Services

The Government would procure the project as a Public Private Partnership (PPP). Therefore, advisory services will be needed to help structure the PPP (for example,

as a Build-Operate-Transfer or Build-Own-Operate contract) and procure a private investor and operator. The exact commercial arrangement will need to be developed through further consultation within government, with donor partners, and with potential investors. However, the arrangement currently envisaged would involve a private operator having a BOT or BOO agreement under which they finance,  build and operate the power plant and have a power purchase agreement with the distribution company. The Government would own the steam fields, thereby taking risk on the resource availability.

Task 4: Development of Geothermal Power Plant

As noted above, it is expected that the private sector will make the capital investment required for generation of electricity (the power plant itself). This investment plan assumes a plant with net installed capacity of 28.5 MW, based on the average size of geothermal plants elsewhere. The actual size of the plant will depend on the resource potential identified in earlier activities.

It is also expected that the MDBs, including their private arms (IFC in the World Bank Group, PSOD at ADB, or EBRD), may be able to provide financing to the project as a way of making it more attractive to other private investors. Support from public sector MDBs may include concessional lending to Government for the transmission lines, roads or other infrastructure required at the site.

Implementation Readiness

Armenia has no installed geothermal power plants, but preliminary surface studies suggest that geothermal resources suitable for power production may exist at  several sites, including the following four promising sites: Karkar, Jermaghbyur, Grizor, and along the Armenian-Georgian border. In 2009-2011, comprehensive surface investigation works were conducted for Karkar site, including field scouting, magneto-telluric sounding, three-dimensional magneto-telluric sounding as well as early-stage economic and financial appraisal. Evidence from these activities indicates that a geothermal resource may exist at the site, and can only be confirmed by the drilling of an exploratory wells.

The proposed geothermal power project has high level of implementation readiness Specifically, the following activities are underway or completed: (1) the World Bank is supporting the Government with preparation of a detailed exploratory drilling program, including types of test wells; estimated cost of drilling and associated services; identification of potential companies that may be interested to bid for an exploratory drilling project; (2) the study to determine the precise locations of test wells will be initiated in May 2014 and completed by July 2014; (3) preparation of technical inputs for bidding documents for procurement of drilling contractor; (4) implementing entity with experience in implementation of donor-funded projects is designated, the R2E2 Fund.

Rationale for SREP Financing

SREP resources would be used for further exploration of Armenia’s most promising geothermal site, thereby demonstrating how geothermal power is a viable renewable energy resource in Armenia. Of the known potential geothermal sites in Armenia, the Karkar site has been the most comprehensively assessed through comprehensive surface studies and is the most promising site to date, with   possible

output estimated at around 28.5 MW. Exploratory drilling is required to confirm the availability and quality of the resource for power generation. By using SREP grant funding for drilling, the Government can help reduce the risk of developing the site.  If a geothermal resource exists at the site, this support can help make geothermal power a financially attractive investment for private investors and an affordable source of electricity. This support will serve to demonstrate the feasibility of geothermal power in Armenia.

The geothermal project is compliant with SREP criteria. Table 10.2 shows how the project complies with SREP criteria.

Results Indicators

The main results indicators are expected to be the following:

• Resource confirmation for the Karkar site.
• Roughly 28.5 MW of additional electricity generation resulting from the project, depending on resource confirmation
• If the resource is confirmed, adoption of a legal, and regulatory framework in to enable future private investment in geothermal power generation,
• If the resource is confirmed, formal government approval of the concept and PPP scheme for construction of a geothermal power plant.

The results indicators will be further specified during preparation of the project.

Financing Plan

Table 10.2 presents a plan for financing of the geothermal power project. As the table shows, US$10 million of SREP funding is expected to catalyze roughly 11 times as much investment, most of it from the private sector (as equity or debt), and the commercial lending windows of the MDBs. The actual amounts financed by each will be determined once the resources if confirmed and as the project moves head.

The financing modalities will be determined at the time of appraisal, but it is expected that the geothermal exploratory drilling project will be funded through: (i) an SREP grant to government, or (ii) a guarantee to private sector entities who might want to undertake the drilling as part of early site development. If suitable resource potential is found, the site would be financed by a private sector developer whose remuneration would be based on a feed-in-tariff or on the terms of a power  purchase agreement. It is assumed that the private sector would use a mixture of debt and equity for the investment.

Table 10.2: Indicative Financing Plan for Geothermal Power Project

Lead Implementing Agencies

The project will be implemented by the World Bank as the lead MDB. The R2E2 Fund will be the implementing agency on behalf of the Government.

Table 10.3 shows an indicative timeline for the Geothermal Exploratory Drilling Project. This timeline has taken into account the “window of opportunity” for accessing the site (mid-May to mid-September), indicating that at least two seasons would be needed to complete the drilling program. The implementing entity should also initiate the necessary licensing processes as early as possible, which would include carrying out the required environmental and social assessment.

It is expected that the project will be negotiated with the World Bank by January 2015 and will become effective by March 2015. The project will be submitted to SREP Sub-committee no-objection by December 2014.

Project Preparation Grant

The Government of Armenia is requesting a preparatory grant of US$300,000 to prepare the project.

Table 10.3: Timeline for Geothermal Exploratory Drilling Project 

*Both for civil works and for drilling services (separate tenders). Tender documents for mud logging and flow testing could also be prepared at this time

** Well head

1. Including the preparation grant request.

b. These expenditure categories may be adjusted during project preparation according to emerging needs.

c. In some cases, activities will not require approval of the MDB Board.

d. Other local, national, and international partners expected to be involved in project design and implementation.

MDB Request for Payment for Project Implementation Services (MPIS)

A.2         Utility-Scale Solar PV

Problem Statement

Poor utilization of energy resources plagues an otherwise robust and sustainable Armenian energy sector. Armenia’s thermal power plants operate at low efficiency, hydropower plants have low reliability and high operation and maintenance costs, grid losses are high, and export potential is not fully realized.  The sector relies on  the old Metsamor nuclear power plant, the decommissioning of which has been postponed twice, from 2016, to 2020, and recently to 2026. When decommissioned, Metsamor will leave a substantial power supply gap. To address these concerns, Armenia plans to increase development of indigenous energy resources, especially renewable energy. Solar photovoltaic (PV), with an estimated potential of over 1 GW, has the highest potential but is not fully utilized due to high investment costs. Armenia’s solar research and technical experience is limited to solar water heaters, off-grid and small-scale PV applications.

Utility-scale solar PV is now cost-competitive on a life-cycle basis with the other power generation options available to Armenia, given the technological and manufacturing advancements combined with continued cost declines  internationally. Armenia will benefit from developing its capacity to scale-up PV technology and take advantage of these cost reductions as these happen.

Current Efforts

Armenia has good solar PV resources, with annual average global horizontal irradiation (GHI) ranging from 1,490 kWh/m2 to over 2,100 kWh/m2. By comparison, average annual GHI is 1,000 kWh/m2 in Europe. The total resource potential for utility-scale solar PV is over 6,500 MW. However, after accounting for undevelopable areas, the developable resource potential is assumed to be much lower.

Assuming polycrystalline solar PV modules mounted at a fixed angle to the sun are deployed in ground-mounted utility-scale plants, solar PV systems could theoretically achieve capacity factors of 20 to 24 in Armenia (dependent on location). If single-axis tracking solar PV technology is deployed, capacity factors could be as high as 30 percent. As part of the preparation of the Investment Plan, nine zones were identified where large-scale, ground-mounted solar PV projects could be built. Figure

10.1  shows the solar zones identified as part of the investment plan.

Figure 10.1: Solar Zones

Project Objective

The objective of the utility-scale solar project is to deploy the first of a series of utility-scale solar PV projects which, through cost reductions and gradual tariff increases will eventually become commercially viable without SREP/MDB support. These first projects will be so small as to have only a very minor impact on the  overall cost of generation in Armenia, but could have a catalytic effect on the market for solar PV through:

–          Lower solar installation costs that will result as a domestic industry develops around it;

–          Lower financing costs as lenders become more comfortable with the technology, and

The foreseen increase in thermal generation costs in Armenia will move solar toward financial viability. Armenia’s new thermal plants will require substantially higher tariffs than many of the existing plants, because they are fully (or near fully) depreciated and no longer recover depreciation charges nor debt service through their generation tariffs.

Scope of Work

SREP resources would be used to develop roughly 40-50 MW of utility-scale solar PV. SREP support would help catalyze private investment in a first new plant (or  plants), and show the potential for deploying solar PV on a commercial basis. The utility- scale solar PV project would include activities described below.

Task 1: Project Preparation, Feasibility Studies, Site Measurement and Monitoring

SREP grant funds would first be used to fund more detailed resource assessments, and the identification of possible sites and possible projects. The activities in this  task include:

• Additional site measurement and monitoring. Relatively coarse resolution solar data are publicly available for Armenia. Given the nature of solar energy resources, these coarse data are generally acceptable for understanding the nature of the resource and conducting a high-level financial analysis. However, additional measurement and monitoring will be needed to characterize the solar resource potential in the areas targeted for solar development in more detail.
• Evaluation of grid interconnection requirements. It will be necessary  to evaluate the potential for grid interconnection at the chosen site, and whether or not grid upgrades will be necessary before the project is interconnected.
• Feasibility study. Once a potential site or sites have been identified, a full feasibility study will be needed to reaffirm the economic and financial viability of the projects, assess compliance with environmental and social safeguards, and complete the legal and regulatory due diligence.

Task 2: Transaction Advisory Services

Transaction advisors would be hired to help government tender for the projects identified in Task 1. Private operators would be procured through competitive tender. Bidders would be selected based on technical and financial criteria, the financial criteria being the level of tariff required or, alternatively, the level of concessional support required.40 Developers offering lower tariffs or requiring less concessional support would receive higher scores.

The activities in the transaction advisory work include:

• The identification of specific structuring options for the projects where “structuring” means arrangements related to:

–  The detailed allocation of responsibilities between public and private partners (design, construction, operations, and, if appropriate—financing);

–  The way in which the private partner will be remunerated (for example, through availability payments, tariffs payments, or some combination);

–  The allocation of risks between public and private partners, and  mechanisms for mitigating such risks;

–  The length, or term of the PPP contract, and mechanisms during the term of the contract for cost pass-through or indexation, revenue resets or adjustments;

40 Bidders will be offered, as part of the conditions of tender, access to SREP capital contributions.

–  A strategy for procurement, including whether to tender bundle or tender separately for design, construction, and operations.

• The            development            of            model            tender            documents            for            the            structures recommended, where such model documents will include:

–  A project information memorandum: The project information memorandum will present the project justifications, objectives, scope, information about the structure of the PPP, the location of the assets, land and other conditions, environment, sanitation and labor safety, required permits and licenses, operational information on existing assets, project output, demand, legal environment, contract management, monitoring of private partner’s performance, etc.

–  A request for qualifications (RFQ) or request for expressions of  interest (EoIs)

–  A Requests for Proposals (RFP). The RFP will describe the project proposal, instructions to bidders, evaluation criteria for the proposal, the timeline for the tender period including the proposal deadlines, instructions for preparation of financial and technical proposals, the process and timing for opening of bids, information about any bid security and guarantees, and clear procedures for communication between the public authority and bidders.

–  A draft PPP agreement, including the necessary schedules to the agreement.

Task 3: Power Generation Project Development

SREP funds would be made available to the Government of Armenia which would on-lend SREP funds at concessional rates to private operators bidding on the projects being tendered. The private operators would contribute equity and also source loans from commercial banks and from the commercial lending arms of the MDBs. Government estimates that, given current capital costs for utility-scale solar PV,  SREP funds could be used with these other sources of financing to support roughly 40-50 MW of solar. Initial studies indicate that Gegharkunik Marz has some of the highest solar PV potential in Armenia, and would be considered as a first potential area for development. This could be a single plant, or several plants with a total capacity of 40-50 MW, as development of solar is often more effective if there are multiple sites, in areas with different solar profiles (to provide more stability by diversifying generation profiles).

Implementation Readiness

Solar PV deployment in Armenia to date has been limited to relatively small-scale rooftop-based installations at schools, hospitals, office buildings and municipal  sites throughout Armenia.41 It is estimated that less than 100 kW of solar PV is currently operational.42

Utility-scale solar is non-existent because, until recently, it was perceived as a high cost technology relative to Armenia’s alternatives. Also, while solar PV power plants are quick to install, considerable time is required to gather solar irradiation and weather data, to develop energy yield models for simulation, prepare bankable projects for financing, and to procure equipment and consulting services.

Solar PV has become more attractive in recent years as the capital costs of utility- scale solar PV projects have declined. The Government has set a target of 40 MW of solar PV by 2020 and 80 MW of solar PV by 2025. There is, moreover, considerable research and development (R&D) and interest in solar PV within Armenia’s academic institutions. A solar PV project could catalyze further research and development and facilitate the transfer of capacity for increased participation in solar PV value chain.

Armenia’s development partners, ADB and the World Bank, have a solid track record and experience in solar development in the region and have developed solar insolation maps and atlases for several countries including Armenia.

Rationale for SREP Financing

One of the most significant barriers to renewable energy in Armenia is the high cost of investment, therefore higher cost per kWh, relative to the currently low-cost electricity generation mix. The current low cost of generation makes it difficult for consumers to understand the need for higher-cost renewable energy generation over the medium to long term which will satisfy –at least initially—only a small portion of demand. There are also legitimate concerns about affordability. The poorest quintiles of the population allocate a relatively higher share of their budgets to electricity than other households. These households are likely to experience more significant pressures on their budgets as a result of increased energy tariffs.

SREP support would help catalyze private investment in a first new plant (or plants), and show the potential for deploying solar PV on a commercial basis. A utility-scale commercial project would not only enable the country to take advantage of this technology in the future when its costs decline even further, but reduce costs for future projects because of learning effects, efficiency gains and competition.

Concessional SREP financing brings down the cost of solar PV generation closer to grid parity and addresses both viability concerns for developers and affordability concerns for consumers. Commercial financing is available but there is a shortage of qualified developers, with enough risk appetite and willingness to invest despite the lack of specific targets and specific feed-in-tariffs for solar PV. Site-specific solar resource assessments and institutional capacity are also non-existent. These concerns are addressed through technical and capacity building assistance and concessional project financing.

41 USAAA/US Embassy/EcoTeam/UNDP/GEF, “Use of Renewable Energy Sources in the World and Armenia Through Innovations to Clear Technologies,” 2010

42 Preparation of Renewable Energy Development Roadmap for the Republic of Armenia Task 2 Report,” February 2011

Results Indicators

The main results indicators are expected to be the following:

• Roughly 40-50 MW of additional electricity generation resulting from the project, depending on resource confirmation.
• A legal, and regulatory framework in place to enable future private investment in utility-scale solar PV, including either: (1) a feed-in tariff for future utility- scale solar PV projects; or (2) a framework for procuring utility-scale solar PV on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis.

The results indicators will be further specified during preparation of the project.

Financing Plan

As Table 10.4 shows, roughly US$30 million of SREP funding is expected to catalyze roughly 3 times as much investment in solar PV, most of it from the private sector (as equity or debt), and the commercial lending windows of the MDBs.

The SREP concessional funds will be used to finance private-sector led utility scale solar PV power plants. The SREP Utility Scale Solar PV Financing Facility will blend SREP funds with ADB and World Bank public sector financing to provide loans to cover up to 50 percent of the total investment cost for one or two projects, the rest is expected to be mobilized from a combination of equity from investors/developers and additional project financing, as appropriate, from other financial institutions that may include EBRD, IFC, and ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department..

In its Armenia Country Operations Business Plan (COBP) 2014-2016, the ADB has allocated US$20 million from its Ordinary Capital Resources for the project for approval in 2016. The World Bank may also consider allocating US$10 million for the potential solar PV project. The combination of SREP financing of $17.5 million, IFI financing and project sponsors will help to finance US$75 million investments in solar PV (potentially 40-50 MW installed). The ADB may provide additional financing subject to receipt of formal request from the Government. The Renewable  Resources and Energy Efficiency Fund will be the implementing agency (IA) and will act as financial intermediary and project management office.

SREP will provide a technical assistance grant of US$2 million for onsite solar irradiation and weather measurements, pre-feasibility studies including up to 2 project feasibility studies and project preparation for the first solar PV project/s to  be auctioned.

ADB has also allocated US$0.3 million technical assistance grant in 2015 to prepare the Financial Intermediary Loan for ADB approval in 2016. SREP grant funding of US$0.5 million is also expected to finance transaction advisors to assist the IA in structuring and developing the PV project to be financed under the SREP Loan Facility. Transaction advisors provide advice on optimal commercial and financial structures, conduct due diligence, prepare bidding documents and project contracts, marketing/roadshow, assist in bid evaluation, auctioning, and financial closing.

A reverse auction, instead of a feed-in-tariff mechanism, will be used for setting the solar PV tariff. The tariff for a predetermined maximum aggregate PV capacity will then be based on the lowest qualifying bid. An indicative tariff will be calculated

based on the financing terms offered under the SREP Loan Facility and used as a benchmark for evaluating bids. This tariff is not set officially nor declared as a ceiling for the auction. The auction will be announced for one or more high solar potential sites as assessed and prioritized through the SREP technical assistance.

 Table 10.4: Indicative Financing Plan for Utility-Scale Solar Power Project

Lead Implementing Agencies

The project will be implemented as a joint operation by ADB and the World Bank, and will be led by ADB. The R2E2 Fund will be the implementing agency on behalf of the Government.

It is expected that the project will be negotiated with ADB and the World Bank by April 2016 and will become effective by June 2016. The project will be submitted to SREP Sub-committee no-objection by January 2016.

SREP funding would be provided to Ministry of Finance, which would on-lend to developers.

The R2E2 Fund, which has extensive experience implementing donor-financed projects in renewable energy and energy efficiency, would be responsible for implementation of the project.

Project Preparation Timetable

The estimated timetable for the Utility Scale Solar PV Development program is in the table below. The technical assistance may be proposed as one TA, but done  in phases, which could start with capacity development and feasibility studies followed by project preparation.

 Table 10.5: Indicative Financing Plan for Utility-Scale Solar Power Project        

Project Preparation Grant

The Government of Armenia is requesting a preparatory grant of US$2 million to prepare the project.

a. Including the preparation grant request.

b. These expenditure categories may be adjusted during project preparation according to emerging needs.

c. In some cases, activities will not require approval of the MDB Board.

d. Other local, national, and international partners expected to be involved in project design and implementation.

MDB Request for Payment for Project Implementation Services (MPIS)

Annex B: Assessment of Absorptive Capacity

Armenia has sufficient absorptive capacity to implement the projects identified in the IP. This Appendix describes the macroeconomic; regulatory and institutional, technical and managerial dimensions of the country’s absorptive capacity.

B.1     Macroeconomic Outlook

Armenia continues to recover from the impact of the global financial crisis. After a contraction of 14 percent in 2009, GDP has grown steadily. GDP grew at a rate of 2.2 percent in 2010, 4.7 percent in 2011, and 7.2 percent in 2012. GDP grew 7.5 percent in the first quarter of 2013.

Armenia’s total external debt is estimated at 67.2 percent of GDP by the end of  2012, a large share of which is owed by the public sector. Public external debt has increased substantially since 2008, but does not yet breach indicative thresholds. Public external debt was about 16 percent of GDP at end-2008, reaching 35 percent of GDP at end-2011. Government efforts at fiscal consolidation have been showing results and with continued GDP growth, are projected to lead to a gradual reduction in the debt-to-GDP ratio.

Gross external financing (debt service payments) has remained around 3 percent of GDP over the last decade. During the recent IDA-16 Mid-Term Review, Armenia and  a few similar countries were deemed ineligible for concessional financing under IDA-

17.43 However, Armenia applied for deferral of its graduation.

More recently, inflation has become a problem for Armenia, due largely to higher energy and food prices. The 12-month inflation was 3.2 percent in December 2012, well within the central bank’s target range of 4±1.5 percent. However, in July 2013, the PSRC increased domestic natural gas and electricity tariffs to reflect an increase in the cost of gas imports from Russia. End-user natural gas and electricity tariffs were increased by 18 percent and 27 percent, respectively.

B.2         Legal, Regulatory and Institutional

A combination of policy, legal, regulatory and institutional reforms has helped to achieve remarkable results in the energy sector. Government has made a consistent—if often difficult—effort to create a legal, regulatory and institutional environment which provides good quality, reliable electricity supply that is affordable for end-users, and conducive to private sector investment.

Overview of Reforms

Armenia undertook major power sector reforms after the severe electricity crisis  that followed independence. Between 1992 and 1996, customers suffered through brutal winters with little more than two hours of electricity per day. By 1995, fiscal and quasi-fiscal subsidies to the power sector had reached a level of roughly 11 percent of Armenia’s GDP. Cash collections were around 50 percent, and nearly 25 and nearly 25 percent of all power produced disappeared before the meters as commercial losses (mostly electricity theft).

The power sector included the following.

• Unbundling and privatizing the power system. Efforts began in 1995 to unbundle the power system and privatize the power sector. Armenergo, the state-owned vertically integrated utility, was separated into generation and distribution entities. In March 1997, a Presidential Order and new Energy Law formalized separate generation, distribution, transmission and dispatch. During 2002-03, ownership of several major generating plants was transferred from the Government in exchange for state debt forgiveness.

43 IDA (2012), “IDA16 Mid-Term Review Graduation Paper”, Concessional Finance and Global Partnership (CFP), World Bank, September 2012.

• Establishing an independent regulator. The Presidential Order and the Energy Law enacted in 1997 established an independent energy sector regulator, the Armenian Energy Regulatory Commission (AERC). The Law on the Regulatory Body for Public Services, enacted in 2004, changed the name of the regulator to the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) and expanded its authority to other sectors, including water, drainage and sewage, and telecom.
• Achieving sectoral financial sustainability. Three steps were essential to increase collections, reducing commercial losses and improving the overall financial sustainability of the sector. The steps were:

–          Installing meters. Between 1997 and 1998, twelve thousand new tamper- proof meters were installed throughout the power system at a variety of voltage levels down to 0.4 kV. Residential customer meters were relocated to public areas. An Automated Metering and Data Acquisition System (AMDAS) was installed in 2001 and linked to a settlement center to facilitate accurate meter reading at the 110 kV and above

–          Bringing tariffs to cost recovery levels. In 1994, Armenia began a gradual transition to cost-based tariffs by bring household tariffs to the average  level of other retail tariffs. A schedule was established for further household tariff hikes. Since 1999, household tariffs have remained well above the overall average tariff

–          Increasing transparency in collections and billing. The Electricity Distribution Company (EDC) installed a computerized customer information system to better track utilization and billing. In 1999, the EDC established a new collection scheme requiring bill payments at post offices instead of cash payments at local EDC offices, which reduced opportunities for collusion between customers and EDC inspectors

The result of the reforms are clear. Since 1996, 24-hour electricity service has been restored and gradually customers have switched to cheaper, more efficient gas heating. Meanwhile, tariff increases and operating efficiency improvements have helped create commercially viable service providers, technical and non-technical losses have decreased, and collections have increased. The energy sector is now one of the largest taxpayers in Armenia.

Reforms targeting renewable energy

The reform efforts have included the development of domestic energy resources  that have helped to improve Armenia’s security of energy supply. Energy security is a central concern of the Armenian Development Strategy (ADS) and National Security Strategy (NSS). These documents emphasize the importance of renewable energy and energy efficiency in addressing this concern.

In 2007, the PSRC set renewable energy feed-in tariffs to stimulate private investment in renewable energy. ENA is obliged to off-take all of the power generated by the new plants under the 15-year power purchase agreements mandated by the legislation. According to the feed-in tariff methodology, the PSRC must adjust feed-in tariffs annually in line with changes in inflation and the USD to AMD exchange rate fluctuations (USD/AMD for SHPPs, USD/EUR for wind). The feed- in tariff regime has been successful in attracting private investment in more than 200 MW of small hydropower.

B.3         Technical and Managerial

Public and private entities in Armenia have extensive experience working with MDBs and implementing MDB-financed projects.

• MENR has excellent technical staff with long-standing experience in the power sector reform process. MENR also enjoys the support of the Energy Institute CJSC, a research entity with extensive experience in Armenia’s energy sector.
• The R2E2 Fund is a non-profit organization established by the Government in 2005 with the mandate to promote the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency markets in Armenia and to facilitate investments in these sectors. The implementation of the project as well as overall R2E2 Fund operations will be supervised by the Board of Trustees (BOT), consisting of representatives of government agencies, NGOs, and the private sector, thus, ensuring required professional expertise. The BOT is chaired by the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.

The R2E2 Fund has strong experience in implementing  donor-financed projects. For the World Bank it is currently implementing the GeoFund 2: Armenia Geothermal Project, and in the past has implemented several World Bank-financed projects including the Urban Heating Project, Renewable Energy Project and an Electricity Supply Reliability Project.

• Private banks. As describe elsewhere in this document, there are a number of commercial banks in Armenia (Ameria Bank, Analik Bank, HSBC, Byblos Bank and others) who have experience on-lending donor funds for renewable  energy projects.

Annex C: Stakeholder Consultations

Armenia’s SREP Investment Plan is the result of an extensive internal and public consultation process, led by the Government of Armenia and represented by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, to identify priorities in the development  of renewable energy technologies for electricity and heating. The consultations included a wide range of government agencies, as well as representatives from the private sector, civil society, and academia. Discussions were informed by the analysis of the Renewable Resources and Energy Efficiency (R2E2) Fund and its consultants.44 Feedback was sought through many one-on-one meetings, a workshop with the Government’s SREP working group, as well as an open forum.

Scoping Mission (July 2-12, 2012)

The purpose of the scoping mission was to explore potential areas of engagement  for SREP, and discuss plans for preparing the investment plan.

The scoping mission included discussions with MENR, PSRC, donors and bilateral agencies (KfW, USAID, UNDP, JICA, UNIDO), R2E2 Fund, the Energy Institute of the Republic of Armenia, commercial banks and several private sector entities engaged  in renewable energy projects. A consultative workshop was also held and attended by 60 participants from the Government, private sector, donors, and academia. In addition, the MDB team also conducted site visits to two small hydro power plants, a biogas power plant, and a solar water heating installation.

First Joint Technical Mission (June 3-6, 2013)

The purpose of the first joint technical mission was to get feedback on the set of criteria to be used to evaluate and prioritize projects for the IP, and to collect data for use in evaluating each technology or resource against the criteria.

The first joint technical mission included discussions between MENR, Ministry of Finance, R2E2 Fund, its consultants, and the MDB team working on SREP. R2E2 Fund and its consultants also met with HVEN, the Armenian Power System Operator, a private geothermal heat pump developer, the Armenian Scientific Research Institute of Energy, the Institute of Geological Sciences at the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, commercial banks, Yerevan Municipal Government, and various technical experts in geothermal, solar and other technologies being considered.

Second Joint Technical Mission (August 28-September 3, 2013

The purpose of the second joint technical mission was to solicit feedback from stakeholders on substantive portions of the draft IP. The second joint technical mission included discussions between MENR, Ministry of Finance, R2E2 Fund, its consultants, the MDB team working on SREP, and other key stakeholders.

44 Lists of stakeholders consulted during the joint missions are also available in various Aide-Memoire posted on the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) website (https://www.climateinvestmentfunds.org/cifnet/country/armenia).

The analytical work completed in preparing the IP included a comprehensive assessment of renewable energy technologies identified during the first technical mission. The technologies included: wind: utility-scale solar PV; concentrating solar PV, distributed solar PV, small hydropower, pumped storage hydropower, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) biogas-to-power, agricultural biogas-to-power, landfill biogas-to-power, biomass (wood/grain), geothermal power, solar thermal water heating, geothermal district heating and geothermal heat pumps.

The mission included two stakeholder consultation workshops to get feedback on the analysis:

• On August 30, 2013, the proposed priority RE technologies to be developed in Armenia were presented to the multi-sectoral task force established in 2011  for review/discussion of issues pertaining to development of renewable energy and energy efficiency in the country. The task force approved the priority RE technologies proposed to be supported under the SREP IP.
• On September 2, 2013, the Government also organized open public consultations with representatives of civil society, NGOs, private sector,  project developers, research institutions, academia, and donor organizations. The participants were overall supportive of main findings, conclusions and recommendations regarding priority RE technologies to be supported in Armenia. There was unanimous support for development of utility-scale PV, given consensus on the estimated large potential and increasingly attractive unit costs of energy given significant reduction in module costs over the last several years. The participants also suggested to include in the priority list  some RE technologies, which had low levelized energy costs (LEC) and other benefits, such as biogas, however, the Government noted the limited potential for scaling up those technologies in the country.

In addition to the two workshops, the main findings of the analysis and proposed RE priorities were posted on the web-site of the R2E2 Fund for public comments.45

45 On August 24, 2013.

Annex D: Co-Benefits

Section 5 highlighted some of the environmental, social and gender co-benefits likely to result from Armenia’s SREP IP. This section focuses specifically on the co-benefits tracked under SREP’s Revised Results Framework (as of June 1, 2012). Annex Table

D.1 lists the co-benefits considered under SREP’s Revised Results Framework, and describes how those co-benefits will be achieved in Armenia.

Annex Table D.1: Co-Benefits Associated with SREP Impacts and Outcomes

46 Given Armenia’s estimated Grid Emissions Factor of 181 g CO2/kWh, based on estimate by the Climate Registry (http://www.theclimateregistry.org/downloads/2013/01/2013-Climate-Registry-Default-Emissions- Factors.pdf)

47 Job-years are calculated instead of just calculating “jobs” because each technology creates both short-term  and long-term jobs. In order to compare each technology using just a single metric, “job-years” created over the life of the project are calculated. These are estimated using the costs estimated for each technology in this project and data from Wei M., Patadia S., Kammen D.M. (2008) ‘Putting renewables and energy efficiency to work: how many jobs can the clean energy industry generate in the US?’p.14. Note that job creation estimates presented here are somewhat uncertain because estimates of the job creation potential of renewable technologies are only available for developed countries.

Annex E: Existing Activities in the Field of Renewable Energy

Existing activities in the field of renewable energy in Armenia involve the continued development of private small HPPs, the rehabilitation of existing large HPPs and the development of some new large HPPs, the exploration of the Karkar geothermal site, and the implementation of some small pilot renewable heating projects. This Annex describes each of these activities.

Hydropower Project Rehabilitation and Development

Small HPPs make up the vast majority of Armenia’s renewable energy industry (excluding from large HPPs). As of May 2013, 221 MW of small HPPs are operating, and 168 MW of SHPPs have received licenses for development from the PSRC. Small HPP development has been supported by both private, commercial banks in Armenia, as well as international development banks. KfW has been supporting the development and rehabilitation of small HPPs through America Bank and other commercial banks in Armenia. Through this program, domestic commercial banks have been able to offer relatively low-cost, long-term capital for small HPP development.

There has also been activity in the large hydropower industry. EBRD is financing the rehabilitation of the Sevan-Hrazdan HPP and KfW is financing the rehabilitation of the Vorotan cascade. Iran is allegedly providing financing for the construction of the Meghri hydropower project, which is scheduled to come online in 2021. The energy from the Meghri plant is expected to go to Iran for the first 15 years of its operation before ownership of the plant is given to Armenia.

Geothermal

The World Bank has financed ongoing assessments of the Karkar geothermal site, including an economic and financial appraisal of a potential plant at the site. In September 2013, a team of World Bank staff and consultants traveled to the Karkar site to identify next steps for surface studies and exploratory drilling at the site.

Renewable Heating

Recently, two solar thermal heating projects have been implemented in the Shirak region of Armenia, through the GEF Small Grants Programme. One of these projects involved the implementation of solar thermal heating at a housing complex, and reduced natural gas consumption by approximately 40 percent. The other project was implemented at a kindergarten, and there are plans to expand the project to a nearby greenhouse. Greenhouses are major consumers of heat energy in Armenia and this project could provide valuable demonstration benefits for this particular implementation of renewable heat technologies.

Annex F: Assumptions Used in Estimating Levelized Energy Costs

Annex Table F.1: Commercial Financing Assumptions

Annex Table F.2: Concessional Financing Assumptions

Annex Table F.3: Plant-Specific Assumptions