Maragos spoke about four EU programs implemented at Armenian Nuclear Power Plant worth 11 million euros
YEREVAN, 18 October. /ARKA/. The head of the EU Delegation to Armenia Vasilis Maragas spoke about four 11 million euros worth projects, which are being implemented at the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (NPC) and one project implemented by the State Committee for Nuclear Regulation worth 1.5 million euros.
"These projects are funded under the European Instrument for International Nuclear Safety Cooperation in (INSC)," said Maragos at the 10th technical meeting on coordination of international support provided to the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP) and the Armenian Nuclear Regulatory Body, which was held in Metsamor.
He said that since the 1990s, Armenia’s cooperation with EU in nuclear safety has been based on exchange of technology and best practices, retraining, radioactive waste management and nuclear safeguards.
"Since the 1990s, the financial support of the EU for nuclear safety in Armenia has reached more than 70 million euros in the form of grants," said Maragos.
The Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Armenia and the European Union signed on November 24, 2017 and ratified by the Armenian parliament on April 11, 2018 includes a chapter on energy cooperation, which states that cooperation should include the closure and safe termination of the operation of Metsamor NPP and the early adoption of a “roadmap” or action plan for replacing it with other alternatived to ensure energy security and sustainable development.
The operating Armenian nuclear power plant, the only one in the South Caucasus region, is located near the town of Metsamor, about 30 kilometers west of Yerevan. It accounts for about 40% of the country's electricity generation.
The government has already extended the facility's lifespan by ten years until 2026 after a major modernization and technical upgrade and began a new project to extend it by another 10 years until 2036.
Armenian authorities want to build a new nuclear power plant with a capacity of about 1000-1200 MW. Several options are being considered - either construction of a power unit with a capacity of about 1000 or 1200 MW, or two units of 1000 MW each.
Tentatively, the new NPP will be built on the territory adjacent to the existing NPP (about 80 hectares) and will allow using part of the existing infrastructure. -0-
