Armenia can always count on IAEA support - Grossi
YEREVAN, November 17. /ARKA/. Armenia can always count on IAEA support, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi said during a meeting with Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan on the margins of the Economic Forum in Davos.
An agreement was reached to continue close cooperation, particularly in providing expert advice and comprehensive assistance to Armenia.
The 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 extended the facility's lifespan by ten years until 2026 after a major modernization and technical upgrade and plans to extend it for another 10 years.
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-
