page_title: Karkar Geothermal Power Plant
section_title: Site selection
hierarchical_section_title: Karkar Geothermal Power Plant / Site selection
caption_attribution_description: Thermal lake near Satan's bridge
context_page_description: The Karkar Geothermal Power Plant is a proposed geothermal power plant to be constructed in Armenia. The plant will be the first of its kind in Armenia and will be situated at the Karkar site in the southernmost province of Armenia, Syunik. Initial studies envisage the construction of a 28-30 MW capacity geothermal power plant with an annual electric output of 250 million kilowatt hours according to data provided in 2016. The Karkar GTPP will allow for the production of heat to be used in the heating of greenhouses, residential buildings, and industrial sites. Commissioned in 2008-2009, the Karkar GTPP is a unique project in Armenia in that it does not possess an analogue in the region, and positively differs from other energy producing power plants in its renewability of resources, independence from imported energy sources, as well as its minimal environmental impact.
context_section_description: The Karkar site was selected for exploratory drilling on the basis of field investigations for the prospective sites of Jermaghbyur and Karkar, which were recognized as the most promising by both local and international geothermal experts. In 2006, the World Bank (WB) Energy Invest PIU contracted Ameria CJSC, a professional advisory and insurance services company registered in Armenia to draft a detailed feasibility study for the construction of the Karkar GTPP.
  The study was executed in the framework of a governmental plan aimed at diversifying energy sources in Armenia, and achieving greater independence from foreign imported energy sources. The results of the feasibility study demonstrated the possibility of constructing a flash type geothermal power plant functioning on the basis of 6 production boreholes at 2.5–3 km depth, and 2 boreholes for return flow at 3 km depth with an installed capacity of 25 MW. The necessary investment was estimated in the amount of 17.6 billion AMD, with specific costs per kilowatt of installed capacity at US$1564. At the time of the study, the annual average electricity production was thought to be 199.4 million kWh. That number has today grown to 250 million kWh. The study demonstrated the strategic importance and effectiveness of using geothermal energy in Armenia for the provision of heat supply and the generation of electric power.
  The field investigations at the prospective sites, which included field scoutings, magnetotelluric (MT) sounding and 3D MT studies, along with independent interpretations of the results of these studies, were supported under the Geofund 2: Armenia Geothermal Project financed by the GEF and were completed in 2012.
caption: A thermal lake near Satani Kamurj, Syunik Province
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