Armenia ups natural gas imports from Iran 6% in 2012
YEREVAN. Feb 26 (Interfax) - Armenia boosted natural gas imports from Iran by 6% to 488.3 million cubic meters in 2012, the Public Services Regulatory Commission of Armenia reported on its website.
Armenia imported 460 million cu m of Iranian gas in 2011 and 400 million cu m in 2010.
Iran delivers natural gas to Armenia for CJSC Yerevan Thermal Power Plant in exchange for electricity at a ratio of 1 cu m of gas per 3 kilowatt hours (kWh) of power. As per the agreement between the two countries, Iran can deliver up to 1.1 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas to Armenia a year (around 3 million cu m a day). Starting in 2014, it can send Armenia up to 2.3 bcm of gas a year.
As a whole, Armenia imported 2.456 bcm of natural gas last year, including 1.967 bcm from Russia. It imported 2.069 bcm of gas in 2011 (1.609 bcm from Russia).
The monopoly gas supplier to Armenia is ArmRosGazprom, 80% of which belongs to Russian gas giant Gazprom , and 20% of which belongs to the Armenian government.
