Energy cooperation with Iran discussed at RA Ministry of Territorial  Administration 

ArmInfo.  Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia Armen Simonyan received a delegation led by Deputy Minister  of Oil of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) Mohammad Sadeq Azimifar  and Ambassador of the IRI to Armenia Mehdi Sobhani.

During the meeting, the parties discussed issues related to  cooperation in the energy sector. The management model of Iran's  energy sector, the possibilities and prospects for fuel production  and export were also presented.

They touched upon the programs of Construction of 400 kV Iran-Armenia  overhead power line and the corresponding substation and Gas for  Electricity. The Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration noted  that Armenia has always supported the smooth implementation of these  programs.

During the discussions, Mohammad Sadeq Azimifar expressed hope that  the meeting would contribute to deepening the partnership between the  two countries.

In conclusion, the parties agreed to continue the discussion and  implement activities to exchange experiences and develop professional  competencies.

Armenia and Iran are connected by two 220-kilovolt power transmission  lines. A third one (400 kV) is currently under construction, which  will allow for a threefold increase in electricity flows between  Armenia and Iran. Thus, Armenia is conducting a barter deal with  Iran, according to which it receives 1 cubic meter of Iranian gas in  exchange for 3 kW/h of electricity in the opposite direction, and  with the construction of the third power transmission line, these  volumes will increase significantly (from 350 MW to 1200 MW).   Nevertheless, the project to build the North-South energy corridor,  designed to unite the electric power systems of Iran, Armenia,  Georgia and Russia, has encountered a number of problems, primarily  related to frequent postponements of the commissioning dates. If the  completion date of the Iran-Armenia power transmission line project  was previously announced as the end of 2018 (construction began in  2015), at the end of December 2021, the responsible structures  already stated that the line would be ready by the end of 2024. The  main contractor for the construction of the 400-kilovolt Iran-Armenia  power transmission line is the Iranian company Sunir. The total cost  of the project is $ 107.9 million, of which 77% was provided by the  Export Development Bank of Iran, and 23% by Sunir itself. A year ago,  Iran and Armenia extended the Gas for Electricity agreement until  2030. As for the Armenia-Georgia power transmission line, the parties  have not yet started its construction. August 14 this year. The  Armenian government has amended the state budget for 2025 in order to  complete the program