“Radio Liberty”: Chinese-Arab-Armenian Consortium Wins Tender for Yerevan Waste Processing Plant
A consortium comprising China’s China Western Power Industrial, Armenia’s Mashtab Consultancy, and the Arab company MASAR has been declared the winner of the tender for the construction of a waste processing plant in Yerevan. “Radio Liberty” reports this, presenting its investigation into the tender participants and the winning companies.
The tender result differs from the Yerevan Municipality’s earlier announcements. While Mayor Tigran Avinyan had been speaking about cooperation with French and Portuguese companies since 2023, the right to construct and operate the plant has ultimately been awarded to the Chinese-Arab-Armenian consortium.
Four companies participated in the first stage of the tender, of which only two advanced to the second stage. The Municipality gave preference to the aforementioned consortium but did not disclose who the other finalist was.
The Chinese Company’s Previous Projects Also Include Failed Ventures
The Chinese member of the consortium, China Western Power Industrial, was founded in 1983 in China’s Sichuan Province. The company has implemented projects in the energy and environmental protection sectors in China, Laos, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe. In Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, the company built a waste-to-energy plant, which it has operated since 2021. The plant cost approximately $40 million.
At the same time, the company’s track record also includes projects that were never implemented. A waste processing plant project in the British city of Peterborough, estimated to be worth more than $450 million, failed without ever reaching the construction stage.
China Western Power Industrial’s name is also mentioned in connection with an energy project discussed in Armenia more than ten years ago but never implemented. The project concerned the construction of a 540 MW gas-fired power plant in Vanadzor, which was planned in cooperation with the Georgian company Anaklia I.P. Holding. An investment of approximately $600 million was announced as part of the project. However, the project never materialised. According to Global Energy Monitor, the parent company of Anaklia I.P. Holding was China Western Power Industrial itself.
Limited Information Available on the Armenian and Arab Partners
The Armenian member of the consortium is Mashtab Consultancy CJSC, which was founded in 2009. According to the declaration of beneficial ownership, the company’s sole shareholder is Lianna Kusikyan. She previously worked in the Project Implementation Division of the Information Technology Department of the State Revenue Committee.
On its website, the company presents consulting and legal services, as well as work on developing the technical and operational specifications of digital projects. According to published information, Mashtab Consultancy has also provided consulting services within the framework of World Bank programmes implemented in Armenia.
The third participant is the Arab company MASAR. However, information in open sources about the company’s activities, owners, and previous projects is extremely limited.
A Multi-Billion-Dram Project Without Published Financial Terms
Under the Yerevan Municipality’s programme, a plant capable of processing up to 600 tonnes of waste per day is to be built. The Nubarashen landfill alone receives approximately 600 tonnes of household waste daily, or around 200,000 tonnes annually.
The plant is to process solid household, biodegradable, and non-hazardous industrial waste in accordance with European Union standards or equivalent requirements. The Municipality will provide a five-hectare site for construction, while the consortium will make the investments and carry out the plant’s subsequent operation. According to the programme, the plant is to operate for at least 30–35 years, and the profits will remain with the company.
However, the project’s financial terms have not yet been made public. It is not known how much money is to be invested in the plant’s construction, within what timeframe it will be implemented, or under what conditions the agreement with the consortium will operate.
“Radio Liberty” also requested the minutes of the tender commission’s meetings from the Municipality but did not receive them. The Municipality responded that the documents had been “archived in accordance with the established procedure.”
Meanwhile, back in May 2023, Tigran Avinyan, who at the time held the position of Deputy Mayor, announced negotiations with French and Portuguese companies. In 2024, waste management was also discussed with the Latvian ambassador, while in November 2025, Avinyan’s deputy, Armen Pambukhchyan, visited a waste processing plant in Riga.
Thus, the right to implement Yerevan’s long-term waste processing project has been awarded to a different consortium, comprising Chinese, Arab, and Armenian companies. However, there are still no public explanations as to the criteria by which this particular proposal was selected, how much it will cost, and what financial obligations the participants will undertake.