Yerevan hosts seminar on "Nuclear power and its role in ensuring carbon-free energy balance in the world"

ArmInfo. November 24, 2017 at the National Polytechnic University of Armenia, experts told about the safety of nuclear energy and its role in ensuring a carbon-free energy balance throughout the world. The event was organized by the State Corporation Rosatom within the framework of cooperation between Russia and Armenia in the field of nuclear energy.

Armenia is included in the list of countries that have signed and ratified the Paris Agreement adopted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It regulates measures to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and assumes that Armenia will take an active part in keeping the growth of global average temperature on the planet. Now more than 40% of the country's electricity is generated by the combustion of hydrocarbons (coal, gas), resulting in the release of a large amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The seminar participants discussed how nuclear power can affect the improvement of the ecological situation.

According to Alexander Nakhabov, the head of the International Education and Cooperation Department of the National Research Nuclear University of MEPhI, it is possible to ensure the stable development of any state while maintaining the ecological situation only by using energy sources that have minimal impact on the environment, primarily due to the minimum emissions of harmful substances and carbon dioxide.

Participants of the seminar also discussed the safety of modern nuclear power plants. Today, nuclear power plants have installed active and passive safety systems, which virtually nullify the potential negative effects of operating stations.

"Metsamor NPP is constantly monitoring the environmental situation, as a result of which we can say that the station is safe for both its employees and the public. The nuclear power plant provided about 40% of all electricity produced in Armenia last year, "said Deputy Director of the NPP Gera Sevikyan.

The State Atomic Energy Corporation "Rosatom" unites more than 350 enterprises and scientific institutions, including all civilian companies of the nuclear industry of Russia, research centers and the world's only nuclear fleet. "Rosatom" occupies a leading position in the world market of nuclear technologies. At present, Rosatom is building 8 power units in Russia and 34 power units abroad. "Rosatom" is Armenia's partner in the modernization of Metsamor NPP and provides the station with nuclear fuel. The National Polytechnic University of Armenia is a higher educational institution providing a multi-level engineering education. It was founded in 1933.

Today, the university has 8,500 students, the main teaching staff is 800 people, most of whom have academic degrees. NPAA prepares bachelor's engineers in 33 specialties and Masters in 26 specialties. NPAUA has 3 branches in Gyumri, Vanadzor and Kapan.