Armtimes — Armenia has expressed its readiness to expand gas imports from Iran by accepting a new proposal submitted by Tehran. Following a visit to Iran, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan stated that it is possible to at least double the supplies under the existing "gas for electricity" program.
The parties have reached a verbal agreement, and the detailed discussion of technical and practical issues will move to the level of working groups to be formed in the near future. According to Khudatyan, Armenia needs more gas while Iran needs more electricity, and the capacity of the existing gas pipeline allows for handling significantly larger volumes than those currently flowing.
The minister emphasized that expanding the deal is mutually beneficial, as the infrastructure, specifically the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline and the 400-kilovolt high-voltage line under construction, makes it possible to not only double but further increase the volume of exchange. Currently, the main focus is on the completion of the high-voltage line, the construction of which has been delayed for a long time. Official Yerevan hopes that, based on assurances from the contractor and the Iranian side, the project will be finalized by the end of the year.
Currently, the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline, which has the capacity to transport more than two billion cubic meters of gas annually, is being utilized at only a fraction of its capacity. Last year, only 480 million cubic meters of gas were imported into Armenia, which, according to the program, is entirely converted into electricity and exported to Iran without reaching Armenian consumers. The commissioning of the new line will increase the efficiency of this deal, enabling Armenia to receive larger quantities of gas reserves.
