Armenia and Azerbaijan discuss constructing power lines as part of Trump Route

On Thursday, delegations from Azerbaijan and Armenia met in the Armenian city of Goris to discuss the construction of power transmission lines as part of the Trump Route project. Recently, Armenia has been in talks with Russia and Turkey to diversify its electricity supply.

The meeting is the latest sign of relations between the two countries getting closer after decades of conflict. Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev announced in August that Azerbaijan could begin supplying Armenia with electricity. Aliyev argued that Armenia cannot indefinitely extend the operation of the Soviet-era Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), and could be at risk of an electricity deficit should the plant stop running.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan commented on Aliyev’s statement, recognising that Armenia was currently in an energy surplus but that new demands in the economy may lead Yerevan to import power in the future.

The Trump Route, also known by its official name, the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), agreed upon by Armenia and Azerbaijan with US mediation, would connect Azerbaijan to its exclave Nakhchivan through Armenian territory. The route is expected to include a railway, road, pipelines, electricity infrastructure, and digital data links. Aliyev said Azerbaijani specialists have conducted preliminary surveys in Armenia and identified possible sites for power-line pylons.

He added that the project to build a power line to transmit electricity from Azerbaijan through Armenia to Nakhchivan could be started now and would take six months at most to complete.

At the same time, the Armenian government is discussing its approach to the NPP. The current operational lifecycle of the Metsamor NPP in Armenia is set to end in 2036, but Pashinyan stated in February it could be extended until 2046. Armenia has announced plans to replace the plant with a modular one in order to reduce their reliance on one source.

However, it seems that Pashinyan is reconsidering the government’s previous preference for a small modular nuclear reactor, arguing that, due to growing AI data centre energy demand, Armenia might face an electricity deficit if they go with the modular option. In September, Pashinyan discussed the possibility of conducting a new nuclear facility with the CEO of Russia’s state nuclear corporation, Rosatom, Aleksei Likhachev.

As part of Yerevan’s efforts to secure alternative energy sources, in October, Armenia also started discussions with Turkey on restoring the Gyumri–Kars transmission line.