Due to the failure of the only high-voltage power line nourishing to Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) from Armenia, people of Artsakh have to use only local electricity. In these conditions, the Sarsang Reservoir is being emptied in the situation imposed by Baku.
Georgy Hayriyan (Chairman of the Artsakh Water Committee) - It is a very wrong policy to turn off electricity imported from Armenia, because they have damaged themselves, their population this way. In other words, the population of Azerbaijan, who used the last two years to develop agriculture from the waters of Sarsang, will not have that opportunity in 2023. It is for sure.
From January 9, when the only power line nourishing to Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) from Armenia was damaged in the Berdzer-Aghavno section, and Azerbaijan does not support its recovery, the main burden of the Artsakh's energy system is on the HPP built on Sarsang Reservoir. This is why the reservoir is in critical condition in terms of reserves.
In order to overcome the energy crisis in Artsakh, the Sarsang HPP works with full capacity. In January-February, the hydroelectric power plant produced 27.5 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, almost 3 times more than the same period last year.
Grigor Grigoryan (Head of Sarsang HPP) - If we spent 53 million cubic meters of water last year in January-February, we spent 160 million cubic meters of water this year. That is, we are now in such an index that I don't remember any year that we have such a low index in February.
Sarsang HPP also ensures the work of the total network so that other hydroelectric power plants can work, too. Due to the overloaded power plant, the water level in the Sarsang Reservoir has dropped more than 20 meters, says the chief engineer of Artsakh HPP company.
Armen Gasparyan (Chief Engineer of Artsakh HPP company) - I myself work in the system for about 30 years and I have never seen so much lower level.
In order to save existing water resources, there are electricity outages in Artsakh, which, in turn, cause problems for the network settlement.
Grigor Grigoryan - Variations, voltage and frequency should be taken to normal position. In other words, during the shutdown and connection of each load, voltage and frequency fluctuations are performed, all of them performs shift, bringing the works to nominal condition.
In March 2022, when Azerbaijan blocked the gas pipeline from Armenia to the Artsakh gas pipeline, the head of the Artsakh Water Committee presented to the Azerbaijani side the situation in Sarsang. According to Georgy Hayriyan, they seemed to understood at that time.
Georgy Hayriyan - During two weeks, there was a significant amount of water, which I brought as an example for them. If it weren't for it, we could have given them much water. We have appeared in the same or more difficult situation now.
In parallel with the descending water level, the share of water used to get electricity is growing to ensure the necessary pressure. Sarsang is emptying rapidly.
The total capacity of the reservoir is 550 million cubic meters, currently only 170 million cubic meters of water remained, of which 70 million is considered a dead volume of use.
