Armenia and US discuss cooperation in the field of peaceful nuclear energy and mining
YEREVAN, June 5. /ARKA/. On Wednesday, Armenian Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure David Khudatyan received a delegation from the US Department of Energy led by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Nuclear Policy Aleshia Duncan. US Ambassador to Armenia Christina Kvien was also present.
"I thanked the US government for its consistent support to Armenia, especially in the energy sector, as well as for the simulator recently installed at the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant with funding from the US government," Khudatyan wrote on Facebook.
The minister highly appreciated the cooperation with the American side in the field of nuclear energy.
"The parties mutually expressed their readiness to further deepen cooperation and discussed a number of issues of cooperation with the US in the energy sector, including in the field of peaceful nuclear energy," Khudatyan noted.
The US Embassy in Yerevan reported that Ambassador Quinn and Deputy Assistant Secretary Duncan discussed Armenian-American cooperation in the nuclear energy and mining industries at a meeting with Khudatyan.
Earlier, a new state-of-the-art full-scale simulator (FSS) worth $3.4 million was launched at the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant with the assistance of the United States.
About the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant
The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant, the only one in the South Caucasus region, is located near the city of Metsamor, approximately 30 km west of Yerevan. The plant is one of the main sources of electricity in the country, providing up to 40% of the total output. Its service life has been extended until 2026, and work is underway to re-extend it for another 10 years.
It is planned to build a new NPP within 8-10 years, and various options are currently being compared and the experience of partners from Russia, the United States, and South Korea is being studied. The Armenian side is already considering a preliminary feasibility study for the construction of a new 1200 MW unit developed by the Rosatom state corporation.
Earlier, Rosatom First Deputy Director General Kirill Komarov, answering a question from the ARKA agency, said that the corporation could offer Armenia nuclear reactors with a capacity of 50 to 1000 MW. According to him, there is, in particular, the possibility of "assembling" a reactor of any capacity from 50 MW units.
