User:Arminegalstyan/sandbox

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History
After the collapse of Soviet Union in 1991 Armenia, like all the other former members of Soviet Union started to struggle with their newly found independence. Armenia was facing a lot of issues, and one of the most important of them was the scarcity of resources, especially electrical. Armenia's energy supply during the Soviet Union was designed as an integrated part of Trans-Caucuses electrical grid. After the collapse and because of lack of reliability of self-supply of resources Armenia appeared in a critical situation which was later locally dubbed "Dark and cold years."

The supply of fuels for its thermal and nuclear plants were entirely dependent on neighboring states which were also part of the Soviet Union. Natural gas for thermal power plants was supplied from Russia through pipeline system through Azerbaijan. Nuclear fuel for the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant came exclusively from Russia. From the point of view of national energy security, Armenia was totally unprotected.

The conditions became more and more unbearable with the initiation of Nagorno-Kharabgh conflict in 1992. Armenia appeared in an economic blockade imposed by Azerbaijan and Turkey. The supply of gas was entirely stopped because as mentioned the pipelines passed through Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan constantly bombarded the pipelines. Metsamor was closed down because of the devastating Spitak Earthquake in 1988. Armenia had to rely on the self-supply of hydropower and on the fuel that was imported through Georgia.

Because of substantial reliance on hydropower resources and especially on Sevan-Hrazdan hydropower units Lake Sevan Armenia’s largest hydropower resource had been severely depleted by 1994.

The energy crisis ended by the restart of Metsamor power plant Unit 2. The bombing of pipelines also stopped because it did not have the same effect as it did before, as Armenia was not as reliant on the pipeline system.