ArmInfo.Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called nuclear power very important for the country.
He recalled that currently there is a project to extend the life of the Armenian nuclear power plant. "Now it's a priority for us to bring this project successfully to the end. In parallel, we (the Armenian authorities - ed. note), of course, are discussing the possibilities of building a new nuclear power plant. So far I can't say anything concrete, unfortunately. But we are discussing this issue and with our other potential partners. Nuclear energy is very important for Armenia, "he told RIA Novosti.
According to the Prime Minister, the representatives of the Armenian authorities are looking for opportunities in Russia, in Europe, in China to build a nuclear power plant. "This is not only an issue of construction. But it is very important to find investments, to find financing," he said. The Armenian NPP, the only one in the region, is located near the town of Metsamor (approximately 30 kilometers south of Yerevan). The first unit of the Armenian NPP was commissioned in December 1976, the second - in January 1980. The nuclear power plant was stopped in March 1989 after the Spitak earthquake in December 1988, which killed 25 thousand people. The second power unit was re-commissioned in November 1995 due to the energy crisis in the republic. The program of the Government of Armenia provides for the extension of the operational life of the existing NPP unit until 2026, as well as the phased commissioning of new units. Currently, work continues to extend the life of the second power unit of the nuclear power plant. For the implementation of the project, the Russian government provided Armenia with a loan of $ 270 million and a grant of $ 30 million.
