Armenian energy crisis of 1990s
| Date | 1991-1995 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4 Years |
| Location | Armenia |
| Also known as | Dark and Cold Years |
| Cause | Shutting down of Metsamor NPP after Spitak Earthquake, cutting off of natural gas pipelines by Azerbaijan |
| Fully Recovered | |
The energy crisis in Armenia, or popularly knows dark and cold years (Armenian: Մութ ու ցուրտ տարիներ), refers to the energy crisis in Armenia during the 1990s, when the newly-independent Armenia's population lived in shortage of energy and basic consumer goods. Although it only lasted 3-4 years, it left a deep impact and impression. Local people have dubbed the years from 1992 to 1995 in different ways, such as "hungry", "cold", and "bad", but the most common title used is "the dark."
During this period, the population of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh had to make do with well water, candles, and cut wood for their needs. Many creative solutions came to exist to deal with the severe lack of electricity (1-2 hours a day) and lack of other basic resources.
On the 20th of February, 1988, the Karabakh movement officially started as the Supreme Council of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, which was ethnically Armenian, voted to request to transfer its jurisdiction from Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic to the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. On the 7th of December of the same year, an earthquake of 6.9 magnitude occurred centered in the town of Spitak in Armenia, leaving 25,000 people dead and 500,000 people homeless. The Metsamor NPP, which was 100 km away from the epicenter of the earthquake, had had a safe shutdown, and had no damages according to the authorities and the IAEA. However, due to the panic that was raised afterwards and protests by the Green party of Armenia, it was officially decided to shut down both units of Metsamor, the only nuclear power plant of Armenia providing about 36% of the electricity needs of the country at the time. Unit 1 of ANPP was shut down in February 1989 and Unit 2 followed in March 1989.
Armenian independence from the Soviet Union came on September 21, 1991, when the war over Nagorno-Karabakh was in full fledge. Armenia's energy supply during the Soviet Union was designed as an integrated part of the Trans-Caucasus electrical grid. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, and because of the lack of internal energy supply, Armenia faced a critical situation." Turkey and Azerbaijan closed their borders with Armenia, putting a fuel embargo on the country. Azerbaijan blocked a natural gas pipeline from Turkmenistan which was flowing through Azerbaijan, effectively cutting off about 90% of the natural gas supply of the country. During the clash, which lasted until May 1994, Azerbaijan blockaded roads, rail lines and energy supplies, leading to severe energy shortages in Armenia.
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