USA willing to support Armenia in setting favourable investment climate for construction of new NPP
YEREVAN, December 17. /ARKA/. The USA is willing to assist Armenia’s Ministry of Energy in setting attractive investment environment for investors interested in construction of the new nuclear power plant (NPP) in Armenia. A USA-Armenia agreement was signed to conduct the preliminary feasibility studies for construction of the new NPP in Armenia, the U.S. Charges d’Affaires to Armenia Joseph Penington told journalists in Yerevan.
Penington said that the USA have always expressed concerns over the security of the acting NPP and invested certain amounts to increase its security level.
‘’We hope that the current Armenian NPP will be closed down in the near future, yet we understand the stance of the Armenian authorities that need alternative capacities in the country for decommissioning the Armenian NPP,’’ he said.
Under the Armenian-American agreement signed on November 21, the U.S. Government is to provide $2mln to Armenia for conducting feasibility study for construction of the new nuclear power plant in Armenia.
Earlier Armenia’s Minister of Energy Armen Movsisian reported that the USA provided $40-45mln for increasing the security level of the current nuclear power plant in Armenia.
The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) was commissioned in 1976 (the second unit - in 1980).Currently only the second unit operates providing 40-50% of the overall power produced in Armenia.
In September 2003, the financial flows of Armenian NPP were transferred to trust management of INTER RAO EES Closed Joint Stock Company – the daughter enterprise of RAO “EES Russia” (60% of the shares) and “Rosenergoatom” concern (40%). According to experts, the plant can operate till 2016.
Armenia’s Ministry of Energy Movsisian also reported that Armenia plans to build a new NPP with capacity of 1,000 Megawatt costing approximately $2bln. In order to attract foreign capital for implementation of the project the Armenian Parliament has revoked the state monopoly on owning the new NPPs. N.V. –0--
