The Meghri hydroelectric project (also known as the Meghri Dam or Aras Watershed Dam) is a hydroelectric project planned on the
Aras River
, az, Araz, fa, ارس, tr, Aras
The Aras (also known as the Araks, Arax, Araxes, or Araz) is a river in the Caucasus. It rises in eastern Turkey and flows along the borders between Turkey and Armenia, between Turkey and the Nakhchivan excl ...
near Armenia's southern town of
Meghri
Meghri ( hy, Մեղրի) is a town and the center of the urban community of Meghri, in Syunik Province in southern Armenia, near the border with Iran. As of the 2011 census, the population of the town was 4,580. According to the 2020 official est ...
on the
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
–
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
border.
The joint Iranian–Armenia project was proposed in the 1990s and was discussed between Iranian and Armenian authorities.
[
] Intergovernmental agreements between Armenia and Iran were signed in 2007 and 2008. On 14 April 2009, energy ministries of Armenia and Iran signed a memorandum on financing construction of the Meghri power station of Armenian side.[
] The dam and power stations construction contract was signed on 16 October 2010 with Farab Sepasad Company.[
] The Meghri station was to be operated by Iran for 15 years after which it will be returned to Armenia free of charge.[
]
The project is expected to cost US$400 million.[
]
Power stations
The complex was planned to comprise two hydroelectric power stations — Ghare Chiler (also transcribed Gharachilar or Karachinar) on the Iranian side and Meghri on Armenia side.[
][
] Due to the sufficient difference in elevation and the presence of Aras Dam
The Aras Dam ( az, Araz su anbarı; fa, سد ارس) is an embankment dam on the Aras River along the Azerbaijan–Iran border, border of Iran and Azerbaijan. It is located downstream of Poldasht in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran and Nakhchivan ( ...
on the upstream, the power stations will be run-of-river
Run-of-river hydroelectricity (ROR) or run-of-the-river hydroelectricity is a type of hydroelectric generation plant whereby little or no water storage is provided. Run-of-the-river power plants may have no water storage at all or a limited amou ...
type, wherein water is taken into pipes at a high elevation, carried downslope to powerhouses at lower elevation, then discharged back to the river. Both power station were conceived to have two turbines with a capacity of each.[
] Revised study of river flows now indicates total Meghri generation capacity would be approximately 100 MW.
See also
* Aras Dam
The Aras Dam ( az, Araz su anbarı; fa, سد ارس) is an embankment dam on the Aras River along the Azerbaijan–Iran border, border of Iran and Azerbaijan. It is located downstream of Poldasht in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran and Nakhchivan ( ...
* Energy in Armenia
Energy in Armenia is mostly from natural gas. Armenia has no proven reserves of oil or natural gas and currently imports most of its gas from Russia. The Iran-Armenia Natural Gas Pipeline has the capacity to equal imports from Russia.
Despite a ...
* List of power stations in Iran
By 2012, Iran had roughly 400 power plant units. By the end of 2013, Iran had a total installed electricity generation capacity of 70,000 MW, which had been increased from 90 MW in 1948, and 7024 MW in 1978. It is planned to add more than 5,000 MW ...
References
{{Dams and reservoirs in Iran
Dams in Armenia
Dams in Iran
Armenia–Iran relations