Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told reporters after a government meeting that the government’s strategy is to achieve 100% energy independence, but this does not mean Armenia will withdraw from international electricity trade.
“How? By developing solar power plants and energy storage facilities in Armenia. Armenia has more than abundant solar resources. But this does not mean that we will stay out of international electricity trade. Sometimes we can export, sometimes import, including potentially having a partnership and cooperation with Azerbaijan in electricity exports and imports, as with all other countries — Turkey, Iran, Georgia and so on,” Pashinyan said, according to Armenpress.
Pashinyan made the remarks in response to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s statement that a project to build electricity transmission lines through Armenia to Nakhchivan is being considered within the framework of TRIPP. Aliyev also said this would benefit Armenia because the country’s nuclear power plant would sooner or later be shut down, leaving Armenia with demand for electricity, while the project could provide an alternative source of power.
Pashinyan said Armenia could face demand for electricity in the near future, given the rapid development of artificial intelligence facilities in the country. He clarified that two directions should be taken into account regarding energy trade.
“Until very recently, we were talking about Armenia having a surplus of electricity. Now we should be talking about the possibility that Armenia may have demand for electricity because, as you can see, artificial intelligence facilities are developing rapidly, and they consume electricity on a scale beyond what we can imagine. Of course, as of now, naturally, nothing has changed in our overall situation, but the plans that investors in particular have to build new artificial intelligence facilities in Armenia compel us to reconsider our energy strategies so that we have capacities corresponding to these new conditions and expectations,” Pashinyan said.