Armenia reconfirms its intention to develop nuclear energy, president
27.10.2015,
16:23
Armenia reconfirms its intention to develop nuclear energy, president Serzh Sargsyan said Tuesday at the opening of the 14th meeting of the Nuclear Safety Advisory Group under the Armenian president.
YEREVAN, October 27. / ARKA /. Armenia reconfirms its intention to develop nuclear energy, president Serzh Sargsyan said Tuesday at the opening of the 14th meeting of the Nuclear Safety Advisory Group under the Armenian president.
He recalled that in 2014 Russia and Armenia signed an agreement for extending the service life of the second unit of the Armenian nuclear power plant. The service life of the second unit expires in September 2016, but the agreement provides for extending its operation for 10 years until September 2026.
President Sargsyan also recalled that November 5 marks the 20th anniversary of the re-start of the second unit of the Armenian NPP after six years of conservation.
"It is a unique experience with an unprecedented amount of repair work done with the use of a variety of original engineering solutions," Sargsyan said.
According to him, more than 1,400 measures have been implemented since 1996 to improve the facility’s safety.
The president also thanked the IAEA, the governments of the United States, Russia, the Czech Republic, the UK, France, Italy and the European Commission for technical assistance in the improvement of the safety of the nuclear power plant.
President Sargsyan had a meeting today with Adolf Birkhofer, the chairman of the Nuclear Safety Advisory Group to discuss the work carried out for increasing the safe operation of the plant and the government’s plan to extend its service life until 2026.
The Advisory Group was set up in 1996. Its main objective is to help improve the safe operation of the facility.
The Armenian Metsamor nuclear power plant is located some 30 kilometers west of Yerevan. It was built in the 1970s but was closed following a devastating earthquake in 1988. One of its two VVER 440-V230 light-water reactors was reactivated in 1995.
Armenian authorities said they will build a new nuclear power plant to replace the aging facility. The new plant is supposed to operate at twice the capacity of the Soviet-constructed facility. Metsamor currently generates some 40 percent of Armenia's electricity. But the government has yet to attract funding for the project that was estimated by a U.S.-funded feasibility study to cost at as much as $5 billion. -0-
He recalled that in 2014 Russia and Armenia signed an agreement for extending the service life of the second unit of the Armenian nuclear power plant. The service life of the second unit expires in September 2016, but the agreement provides for extending its operation for 10 years until September 2026.
President Sargsyan also recalled that November 5 marks the 20th anniversary of the re-start of the second unit of the Armenian NPP after six years of conservation.
"It is a unique experience with an unprecedented amount of repair work done with the use of a variety of original engineering solutions," Sargsyan said.
According to him, more than 1,400 measures have been implemented since 1996 to improve the facility’s safety.
The president also thanked the IAEA, the governments of the United States, Russia, the Czech Republic, the UK, France, Italy and the European Commission for technical assistance in the improvement of the safety of the nuclear power plant.
President Sargsyan had a meeting today with Adolf Birkhofer, the chairman of the Nuclear Safety Advisory Group to discuss the work carried out for increasing the safe operation of the plant and the government’s plan to extend its service life until 2026.
The Advisory Group was set up in 1996. Its main objective is to help improve the safe operation of the facility.
The Armenian Metsamor nuclear power plant is located some 30 kilometers west of Yerevan. It was built in the 1970s but was closed following a devastating earthquake in 1988. One of its two VVER 440-V230 light-water reactors was reactivated in 1995.
Armenian authorities said they will build a new nuclear power plant to replace the aging facility. The new plant is supposed to operate at twice the capacity of the Soviet-constructed facility. Metsamor currently generates some 40 percent of Armenia's electricity. But the government has yet to attract funding for the project that was estimated by a U.S.-funded feasibility study to cost at as much as $5 billion. -0-
