Armenia Archives - ContourGlobal

Vortan Complex: a decade in hydro

ContourGlobal is present in Armenia since July 2015, when we acquired the Vorotan Complex of Hydroelectric Power Stations – a complex of three hydroelectric power stations with an overall capacity of 404 MW accounting for roughly 12% of installed capacity of Armenian electricity system and providing about 10% of Armenia’s electricity, for an average annual power generation of 1.15 TWh/year. Vorotan Cascade is of strategic importance to the grid and plays a significant role in its stability and frequency control.

2025 will be celebration year for Armenia and 10 years in hydro, and also the 55th Anniversary of Tatev HPP, a true gem of the Soviet era energy system, as they used to call it and as it is known among the veterans of the energy sector in Armenia.

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Hydro Power Plant in Armenia

ContourGlobal started as an independent power producer 20 years ago and the ambition was really to build up a generation company based on thermal assets. But midway to that process, with some investments in Wind and Hydro, it started to diversify into renewables.

This is where Armenia comes in, with our investment in Vorotan which was completed in June 2015, so ContourGlobal has a decade of experience in Hydro technology. Vorotan cascade is a very important asset for ContourGlobal: with it’s three HPP’s these are the only hydro assets in the ContourGlobal portfolio, and the center of excellence for hydro power.

The Vorotan Cascade is among the main power generation complexes in Armenia, providing both peak and base load generation, and performing grid stabilization services. The complex is located in the eastern part of Syunik region of the Republic of Armenia, some 240 km to the South-East of Yerevan. The Cascade has a total head of 1,223 m. The design of the Vorotan CHPS began in 1954, construction started in 1961.

Three plants that make up the complex: the Spandaryan HPP, with a capacity of 76 MW; the Shamb HPP, with a capacity of 171 MW and its iconic flower-shaped spillway; and the Tatev HPP, with a capacity of 157.2 MW. This year, Tatev HPP, the oldest of the three, celebrates its 55th anniversary.

Over 10 years of ownership and operation of Vorotan, we completed critical refurbishments including a complete Electromechanical Rehabilitation (EMR) program and other major improvements such as the replacement of Shamb’s main transformers. The EMR program was carried out from 2017-2021 and focused on replacement or rehabilitation of worn out, defective and inefficient equipment and systems. It has increased reliability and efficiency to ensure trouble free operation for another 30 years. The scope included turbines, generators, auxiliary systems, main and auxiliary transformers, control and protections systems etc. with a total investment of around US $70mln.

After EMR completion, we successfully completed other major projects / critical refurbishment such as replacement of Shamb two main transformers, rehabilitation of Tatev DRP, refurbishment of Tatev and Spandaryan pressure pipelines addressing water spillage from aging pressure pipelines. These efforts, in particular, improved water conservation and overall performance, reinforcing our promise to deliver energy responsibly, with a total investment of US $7.5 million.

ContourGlobal is also committed to environmental protection of the ecosystems in the area of the Vorotan Complex. As part of these efforts, the Vorotan teams undertake detailed monitoring of the water quality, water quantity and flow, aquatic species, water levels on a frequent basis. In addition, the Vorotan Complex underwent a rigorous process to achieve their ISO 14001 (Environmental Protection) and 45001 (Health & Safety) in 2024. Furthermore, ContourGlobal joined the United Nations Proteus Partnership for Biodiversty and Nature, confirming our commitment to protecting habitats in the areas of our operations, and also completed a TCFD-aligned climate risk assessment for global operations, including Vorotan.

10 years of ContourGlobal Armenia

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Celebrating our presence in Armenia

This is also a moment to celebrate our people and look ahead — reaffirming our commitment to delivering clean power right through this HPP, expanding our reliable partnerships with the country, and continuing to create shared value responsibly as we act as stewards of the region’s environmental ecosystems.

How we work with our neighbors

Investment in sustainability and community relations has been a core commitment over the past ten years, reflecting our deep-rooted connection to the local community through initiatives. Over the last 10 years around US $700,000 total investment have been done in sustainability and community relations projects for more than 121,500 beneficiaries.

Examples of actions include providing access to quality education by establishing American University of Armenia (AUA) training and education extension center in Goris and Creating strategic partnership with AUA by establishing ContourGlobal Hydro Cascade endowed scholarship fund. Furthermore, on June d11th of 2025 with the inauguration will mark of one of our key community projects: TUMO Box Goris. TUMO is a transformative learning network that equips thousands of students with future-ready skills at the intersection of technology and design.