Management of Armenia’s Nuclear Power Plant and part of facility’s workers fail to agree on pay rise
20.10.2011,
22:44
he management of Armenia’s nuclear power plant in Metsamor and part of the facility’s workers failed to agree on a pay rise, demanded by 158 employees, a source in the plant told ARKA adding that all 158 workers will be dismissed.
YEREVAN, October 20. / ARKA /. The management of Armenia’s nuclear power plant in Metsamor and part of the facility’s workers failed to agree on a pay rise, demanded by 158 employees, a source in the plant told ARKA adding that all 158 workers will be dismissed. The Armenian NPP was halted September 11 for a planned repair and is to resume operation on October 27.
Reports in Armenian media in late September said the re-launch of NPP was under threat after 158 staff members submitted resignation applications demanding an increase in their wages.
According to a local daily "Haykakan Zhamanak", energy and natural resources minister Armen Movsisyan told yesterday NPP director Gagik Markosyan to dismiss the discontented employees. According to the newspaper, the minister promised to recruit new specialists within one month.
According to experts, if the Armenian NPP terminates operation, the demand for electricity will be met by thermal power plants which account now only for 20 percent of all generated power. However, Armenia lacks its own natural energy resources, both gas and nuclear fuel are supplied from abroad. Experts say hydropower plans are not able to produce as much power as to meet domestic needs.
The Metsamor plant, which accounts for about 40 percent of Armenia's electricity, is located some 30 kilometers west of Yerevan. It was built in the 1970s but was closed following a devastating earthquake in 1988 that killed some 25,000 people and devastated much of northern Armenia. One of its two VVER 440-V230 light-water reactors was reactivated in 1995. The plant’s financial flows have been managed since 2033 by Russian Inter RAO UES, owned by Russian Rosatom. Armenian authorities said they will build a new nuclear power plant to replace the aging Metsamor plant. The new plant is supposed to operate at twice the capacity of the Soviet-constructed facility. -0-
Reports in Armenian media in late September said the re-launch of NPP was under threat after 158 staff members submitted resignation applications demanding an increase in their wages.
According to a local daily "Haykakan Zhamanak", energy and natural resources minister Armen Movsisyan told yesterday NPP director Gagik Markosyan to dismiss the discontented employees. According to the newspaper, the minister promised to recruit new specialists within one month.
According to experts, if the Armenian NPP terminates operation, the demand for electricity will be met by thermal power plants which account now only for 20 percent of all generated power. However, Armenia lacks its own natural energy resources, both gas and nuclear fuel are supplied from abroad. Experts say hydropower plans are not able to produce as much power as to meet domestic needs.
The Metsamor plant, which accounts for about 40 percent of Armenia's electricity, is located some 30 kilometers west of Yerevan. It was built in the 1970s but was closed following a devastating earthquake in 1988 that killed some 25,000 people and devastated much of northern Armenia. One of its two VVER 440-V230 light-water reactors was reactivated in 1995. The plant’s financial flows have been managed since 2033 by Russian Inter RAO UES, owned by Russian Rosatom. Armenian authorities said they will build a new nuclear power plant to replace the aging Metsamor plant. The new plant is supposed to operate at twice the capacity of the Soviet-constructed facility. -0-
