Rosatom and Armenian NPP sign cooperation memorandum
YEREVAN, January 20. /ARKA/. The Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom and Armenia’s NPP have signed a cooperation memorandum in construction of new nuclear power units. The memo was signed on Thursday on the margins of the World Expo 2020, TASS news agency reported.
According to the memo, the managements of Rosatom State Corporation and the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant expressed their readiness to cooperate in exploring the possibility of building new nuclear power unit of Russian design on the territory of the Armenian NPP.
"The use of modern Russian nuclear technologies is an integral part of the stable power supply in many countries of the world. I am sure that cooperation in the construction of new nuclear power unit will not only be an important factor for the development of the economy and prosperity of the Republic of Armenia but also for the development of strong neighborly relations between our countries," president of Rosatom Overseas JSC Yevgeny Pakermanov said at the signing ceremony.
According to Director of Armenian NPP Eduard Martirosyan, Armenia closely follows global trends in decarbonization and development of modern technologies.
"The Armenian NPP produces about 40% of the country's electricity and has been a clean and reliable source of energy since 1977. After its lifetime expires, we want to continue having nuclear power in the country's energy balance, and this is why we consider modern Russian nuclear technologies, which are advanced in the world, in the first place," he said.
Earlier the Armenian authorities stated that they plan to extend the life of the second power unit of the Armenian NPP until 2036 and to build a new nuclear power plant in the future.
The Armenian 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.
In March 2014, Armenian government decided to extend the plant’s service life up to 2026 on a $270 million Russian loan and $30 million grant. -0-
