Armenian nuclear power station has a resource for work for another 30 years

ArmInfo. The Armenian nuclear  power plant has a resource for work for another 30 years. The general  director of the station Movses Vardanyan told journalists on May 25.

According to him, the station has already worked for 30 years, for  another 10 years it will function after modernization, thus, the  remaining resource of the operating second unit will be 20 years.  Technically this is possible, taking into account that the service  life of Russian stations with a similar WWER reactor is extended to  60 years. Nevertheless, as the general director emphasized, the  government of the republic should take the decision.

He noted that within the framework of the modernization program since  April 14 this year. the fourth turbine unit has been stopped, which  will be completely repaired. From June 1, the operation of the  reactor and the third turbine unit will be stopped. It is planned  that the reactor will be activated from August 1 at the same time as  the fourth turbo unit. As for the third turbo unit, it will be put  into operation from November 13. At full capacity, the ANPP will be  released by December 1 this year. Russian specialists carry out,  Works on modernization basically. Currently, the station employs 237  Russian specialists - locksmiths, welders, and representatives of  other specialties, to which 300 more people will join in the near  future. In total, $ 150 million is planned to be spent on the  implementation of the modernization program (modernization and  replacement of equipment of the first, second and fourth grades), the  remaining funds from the Russian loan of $ 270 million and $ 30  million in the form of a grant are envisaged for modernization of  non-replaceable equipment and auxiliary systems. The last batch of  equipment will be delivered this evening from Ukraine.

Answering the question of ArmInfo about the quota of Armenia on the  use of Russian credit, Movses Vardanyan said that the station came  close to the 20% quota. Transformers, capacitors, and other equipment  were purchased for these funds. Remained about $ 4 million, for which  in Germany will be purchased batteries that are not produced in  Russia. Movses Vardanyan continued that the station's stop for a long  period is reflected in its financial situation. In 2017, the ANPP  generated 2.5 billion kWh of electricity, this year this figure will  drop to 1.8 billion kWh. If we bear in mind the fact that the station  sells its electricity at a record low tariff of 10.03 drams per 1  kWh, this also affects the wages of employees. The station employs  1,812 employees with an average salary of 300,000 drams. For Armenia,  the general director continued, this is a rather big amount, if  compared with the average salary of employees of foreign nuclear  power plants, it becomes obvious that this is a very small amount.  "It is for this reason that the ANPP staff constantly raises this  issue," Movses Vardanyan continued, expressing hope for its solution  in the next few years. "We have a corresponding fund, but  unfortunately we can not go beyond it, today this issue was raised  before the head of the Ministry of Energy," the general director  emphasized.

The Armenian nuclear power plant consists of two units with Soviet  (Russian) WWER reactors. The first unit was commissioned in 1976, the  second - in 1980. In March 1989, after the Spitak earthquake, which  killed 25 thousand people, the station's work was stopped. In  November 1995, in connection with the most acute energy crisis, the  second power unit of the station with a capacity of 407.5 MW was  involved. In March 2014, the Armenian government decided to extend  the life of the second power unit by 10 years - until 2026.  Completion of work is planned for 2019. The Government of the Russian  Federation allocated a $ 270 million state export loan to Armenia for  these purposes and a grant of $ 30 million.