Tuesday, November 27 2018 17:07

ArmInfo.Armenia and Russia are discussing the establishment of a working  group to study the prospects for bilateral cooperation in the nuclear  field. On November 27, the Ambassador Extraordinary and  Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Armenia  Sergei Kopyrkin told reporter of ArmInfo.

According to him, the working group will study the possibilities of  bilateral cooperation after the expiration of the second unit of the  Armenian nuclear power plant. "The Russian side has very interesting,  promising developments in this regard that might be of interest to  Armenia and, accordingly, the specifics of its electricity needs,"  the diplomat said, adding that cooperation between Armenia and Russia  in the field of nuclear energy, which is under control of the  leadership of the two states, a very important component in bilateral  relations.

The Ambassador added that the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant makes an  invaluable contribution to the socio-economic development of Armenia,  providing work and industrial facilities and life support facilities.   The station also plays a huge social value, since it keeps the level  of tariffs at an acceptable level. "A project is being implemented to  extend the life of the second power unit of the Armenian NPP until  2026. I do not rule out that at some stage there may be a question of  a further extension, but, of course, all this will require a detailed  and thorough analysis to ensure the safety of the plant. Also I think  that cooperation in the field of nuclear energy is a very promising  business in relations between our countries, "said Sergei Kopyrkin.

He also stressed the importance of ongoing programs in the field of  education. The ANPP itself includes a very important cultural and  educational component. It is also about working with school students,  organizing excursions to the station, and training specialists in the  Russian Federation. "Moreover, we proceed from the fact that these  specialists, who undergo training in the leading educational centers  of Russia, must return to their homeland, where there is a need for  highly qualified specialists. In general, the station makes a  considerable contribution to the social field, providing over 1,800  people with jobs. They are really high-quality employees who are  useful for Armenia, "the ambassador stressed.

The Armenian NPP consists of two units with Soviet (Russian) VVER  reactors. The first block was commissioned in 1976, the second  in  1980. In March 1989, after the Spitak earthquake, which killed 25  thousand people, the station was stopped. In November 1995, in  connection with the acute energy crisis, the second power unit of the  plant with a capacity of 407.5 MW was activated. In March 2014, the  Armenian government decided to extend the life of the second power  unit by 10 years - until 2026. Completion is scheduled for 2021. The  government of the Russian Federation has allocated Armenia for these  purposes a state export credit in the amount of $ 270 million and a  grant of $ 30 million.