Pashinyan presents advantage of building modular nuclear power plant in Armenia
YEREVAN, February 8. /ARKA/. Speaking at a government meeting today Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan highlighted an advantage of building a modular nuclear power plant.
Pashinyan cited the Nuclear Safety Regulatory Committee, which says that when there is an accident at a modular NPP, it is considered a localized problem, which means that the residents of nearby communities are not required to evacuate because the accident does not pose a threat to their lives or health.
Pashinyan said before choosing the final option, it is necessary to look into all available information.
"We are now studying all the proposals to understand which of them corresponds to Armenia's national interests. There can't be a final decision at this stage, because discussions should be continued," the prime minister said.
In his turn, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Gnel Sanosyan drew attention to another aspect.
"Studying all the models, we are trying to understand which one will fit properly into our system and will work properly in our power balance in the next 60 or 100 years. Considering that it will cost several billion dollars, we also need to find the right financing mechanism, because the cost of power production will also depend on it," he said.
Pashinyan, in turn, said that political will should be shown in certain sectors and, for example, renewable energy should be developed regardless of its cost.
In December the government approved the allocation of $65 million to extend the service life of the operating Armenian Nuclear Power Plant until 2036.
The government will sign a contract with Russia's Rusatom Service, a division of Rosatom State Corporation, to extend the facility's service life.
The government had already extended the facility's lifespan by ten years until 2026 after a major modernization and technical upgrade.
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 35% of the country's electricity generation. -0-
