Thursday, July 27 2017 10:56

ArmInfo. As of today, all activities within the program to extend the life of the Armenian nuclear power plant are carried out in accordance with the schedule, and in some cases even with its lead. About this corr. ArmInfo was informed by Deputy Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources Hayk Harutyunyan, commenting on possibility of postponing the implementation of the program from 2019 to 2021.

According to the Deputy Minister, at present it is impossible to fix specific dates, since the work at the station continue. Armenian nuclear power plant must receive a license from the State Nuclear Safety Regulatory Committee for the production of electricity, and only after that will it be possible to talk about clear deadlines. The deputy minister noted that a draft decision on the investment plan of the program for extending the lifetime of the second power unit of the ANPP has already been prepared. In parallel, for the approval of the executive body is presented a draft program of measures, which was developed on the basis of the results of the first two scheduled maintenance works. The document regulates the amount of investment directed to the project.

In conversation with ArmInfo's reporter, general director of Armenian Nuclear Power Plant JSC Movses Vardanyan said that the station intends to propose to the government to send optimized funds for the continuation of the program for extending the life of the power unit N2. According to him, significant financial resources were saved as a result of tenders for the supply of equipment and services. So, as of June 1, $ 205 million, already allocated by the Russian Federation under a loan of $ 270 million and a grant of $ 30 million, were signed, contracts for the delivery of equipment worth $ 143 million were signed, which saved about 34% of the funds. Preliminary assessment of procurement procedures was carried out by the general contractor of the project - the company Rosatom Service, which is part of the SC Rosatom. This estimate, the general director continued, was based on prices for the main equipment produced by Russian companies. However, as a result of open tenders, in addition to Russian enterprises, the companies of their Czech Republic, Germany, Ukraine and other countries participated, it was possible to optimize significant financial resources, which, according to Movses Vardanyan, will be unequivocally directed to the continuation of the program. It should be reminded that in March of this year, it was 3 years since the decision was taken by the Armenian government on the need to upgrade the second station unit. The subsidiary of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation - Rusatom Service JSC coordinates the project of Extension of life at the Armenian NPP. The State Corporation together with the Armenian experts agreed to work on the implementation of the project to extend the lifetime of the nuclear power plant for 10 years - until 2026. Completion of work is planned for 2019. Russia allocated a $ 270 million state export loan and a grant of $ 30 million to Armenia for these purposes. In March 2015, the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) was established to implement the intergovernmental agreement on extending the life of the ANPP on December 20, 2014. In order to coordinate the project activities, meet deadlines, evaluate the results. To date, four meetings of the JCC have been held.