Expert: The issue of waste disposal of solar energy is not discussed  at the State level in Armenia

ArmInfo.  The issue of waste disposal of worn-out devices of solar stations, batteries and other waste of solar energy is not discussed at the State level in Armenia.  This was stated by "EcoLur" Informational NGO Youth Branch  Coordinator Victoria Burnazyan during the "Environment, Climate and  Sustainable Energy in the South Caucasus" workshop held in Tbilisi.

The expert drew attention to the fact that Armenia has a great  potential for solar energy: the average annual value of the influx of  solar energy per 1 square meter of horizontal surface is 1720 kWh /.  A quarter of the territory of the republic has solar energy resources  with an intensity of at least 1850 kWh / m2 per year.  With this in  mind, it is planned to build a solar photovoltaic station on an  industrial scale with a peak capacity of 55 MW in the village of  Masrik, Gegharkunik region of RA. This will be followed by the  construction of five additional stations with a total capacity of 60  MW. Meanwhile, at the stage of implementation of this project there  is a conflict of interests. So, for the construction of Masrik 1, the  agricultural lands of three villages - Mets Masrik, Masrik and Arpunk  - were recognized as an exceptional public benefit. Meanwhile, local  residents express dissatisfaction, since high-quality agricultural  and arable lands were taken.

The problem is that the issue of waste disposal of worn-out devices  of solar stations, batteries and other waste of solar energy is not  discussed at the state level by any of the responsible departments.  At the same time, as Burnazyan notes, the Government of Armenia  intends to increase the share of solar energy production up to 10% by  2026, which means that we will have 1.2 billion kWh of solar energy  production, which requires a total capacity of 700 MW of solar power  plants, including autonomous ones power plants Over the years,  Armenian ecologists have been trying to draw the attention of the  responsible authorities to the situation that arose as a result of  the development of the small hydropower sector. With the  participation of EcoLur, a study of 125 small hydropower plants  operating in the republic was conducted, as a result of which a  number of problems were identified. In particular, non-compliance  with environmental runoff; lack of standards and requirements for  SHPP equipment; reduction of river biodiversity; the construction of  SHPPs at the maternal sources forming the watercourse of the rivers.   Burnazyan drew attention to the fact that 189 small hydropower plants  with a total capacity of 375 MW were already built in the republic.  In 2019, they generated 980,825,762 kWh of electricity, i.e. 12.8% of  all electricity generated in the country. According to the Armenian  Hydropower Concept, by 2036 the total capacity of SHPPs should be 400  MW. Meanwhile, taking into account the planned construction of  another 26 SHPPs with a total capacity of 59 MW, the 400 MW limit has  already been exceeded.