Regulator rules out the risk of electricity shortages in Armenia during extended shutdown of Armenian Nuclear Power Plant

YEREVAN, February 16. /ARKA/. Mesrop Mesropyan, Chairman of the Public Services Regulatory Commission of Armenia, stated that no electricity shortages are expected in the country during the extended shutdown of the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant (NPP).

Earlier, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure David Khudatyan announced that the Metsamor NPP would be shut down for approximately five months starting in April of this year for a major scheduled maintenance. This period of time is approximately three months longer than the annual scheduled maintenance of the NPP.

"Electricity demand will be met through the increased operation of other power plants, so we have no concerns (about a possible shortage)," Mesropyan said at a press conference on Monday, summing up the results of 2025.

According to him, since Soviet times, the installed capacity of generating facilities in Armenia has exceeded domestic consumption. "At any time, a power plant that has stopped operating can be replaced by another. The question is what prices will be set," he noted.

About the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant

The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant, the only nuclear power plant in the South Caucasus region, is located near the town of Metsamor, approximately 30 km west of Yerevan. The plant is one of the country's key sources of electricity, providing up to 40% of its total generation. The operating life of the existing power unit has been extended until 2026, and work is underway to extend it for another 10 years.

Armenian authorities plan to build a new nuclear power plant within 8-10 years. Various options and the experience of partners from the United States, Russia, China, France, and South Korea are currently being studied.-0-