TEİAŞ and Armenia discuss reviving the Kars–Gyumri transmission line

A high-level technical delegation from the Turkish transmission system operator TEİAŞ met regional infrastructure officials and power grid operators in Yerevan on October 5 to explore the rehabilitation of the long-disused Kars–Gyumri interconnector. The discussions centred on technical assessments required to restore the cross-border electricity link, bringing transmission planners and high-voltage grid specialists together to evaluate the infrastructure needed for cross-border power exchanges.

Reactivating cross-border overhead circuits that have stood idle for decades presents complex engineering challenges for substation and network asset managers. Overhead lines, terminal bays, and bay equipment exposed to weathering require comprehensive structural, dielectric, and functional refurbishment. Substation switchgear, instrument transformers, and surge arresters at the border nodes must be reassessed for mechanical reliability, insulation integrity, and thermal ratings prior to re-energisation.

Beyond physical bay equipment, system synchronisation poses a critical hurdle. Türkiye operates synchronously within the Continental European synchronous area under tight frequency and operational stability criteria, whereas the Armenian grid operates under distinct synchronous characteristics. Bridging the two networks will likely require either dedicated islanded operating regimes at border terminal substations or asynchronous conversion infrastructure such as back-to-back converter stations. Recommissioning the link will therefore demand extensive studies of short-circuit levels, protection coordination, and dynamic voltage stability across the eastern frontier.

What this means for asset owners in Türkiye: Substation and transmission engineers in Türkiye face extensive asset integrity audits and prolonged equipment procurement cycles to prepare eastern border switchyards for potential tie-line re-energisation. TSO teams must schedule comprehensive maintenance windows to test aged disconnectors, circuit breakers, and busbar protection schemes at terminal substations, while planning for long lead times on replacement high-voltage switchgear and asynchronous converter equipment to prevent border outages and operational instability.