YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6, NOYAN TAPAN. A forum entitled "Renewable Energy Week" with the participation of experts from the U.S, France and CIS countries began at the Moscow House in Yerevan on October 6. The event is being held with the financing of the Armenian government and Armenia's Renewable Energy and Energy Saving Fund and with the support of Expomedia exhibition design center. During the two-day forum, its participants will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the country's energy resources, investment opportunities, international scientific achievements, and the options of attracting financial resources. Discussions will take place on the following subjects: small hydropower plants, wind power, bioethanol and biofuel, solar technology, biogas, hydrogen power, etc. The RA deputy minister of energy and natural resources Areg Galstian said that such forums allow to identify the sector's problems and obstacles and to propose their solutions. He announced that a commission composed of representatives of the various interested departments has been set up in order to give solutions to these problems as quickly as possible. According to him, the state policy is aimed at developing the renewable energy. 30% of the energy to be generated in Armenia by 2025 will be at the expense of renewable energy. Thus, it is necessary to develop hydro-power engineering and double the number of small hydro-power plants operating in the country. It was mentioned that 60 hydropower plants currently operate in Armenia, about the same number have submitted bids for receiving a licence. The hydropower plants generate 220 million kwh of power a year, which makes up only 3-4% of the domestic demand.

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