Armenia wants to increase gas import from Iran

Armenia and Iran intend to increase the scale of cooperation under the gas for electricity program, Armenia's Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Gnel Sanosyan said.

According to him, Armenia imports annually 365 million cubic meters of Iranian gas. As part of gas for electricity swap deal Armenia has been receiving natural gas from Iran, which is converted into electricity and is shipped back to Iran- 3 kWh of electricity for one cubic meters of natural gas. 

Sanosyan noted the Iran-Armenia natural gas pipeline has the capacity to ship more gas from Iran and there is no need for a new pipeline as the existing one is not used to its full capacity.

The minister added that Yerevan and Tehran recently extended the respective contract until 2030.

"With this contract, there is a chance to increase the import of gas from Iran to Armenia; I believe it will be so in the coming years. The existing gas pipeline is not being used at its full capacity," Gnel Sanosyan said.