ArmInfo.The nuclear power plant in Metzamor cannot be closed without having an adequate replacement, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated in an interview to Euractiv, commenting on the EU`s requirement to close the NPP within Comprehensive and Enhanced Parnership Agreement between Armenia and the EU (CEPA).
The Prime Minister recalled that there is a special provision in the CEPA dealing with Armenian nuclear power. This provision actually says that as a precondition for the closure and safe decommissioning of Medzamor, the need for its replacement with new capacity to ensure the energy security of Armenia and conditions for sustainable development should be taken into consideration, Pashinyan noted.
According to him, at this stage, Armenia is planning to modernise the station and upgrade its safety so that it could operate until alternative sources of energy become available. The nuclear power plant is the backbone of our energy security. Therefore, we cannot close the plant without having an adequate replacement, which could provide for the same level of energy security, he noted.
To note, the main objectives of the project to extend the life of the 2nd unit of the Armenian NPP are the restoration of the resource and the extension of the plant operation for another 10 years, increasing the level of safety and efficiency of NPP. All work on the project will be completed by the end of 2021.
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, due to 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 for 10 years - until 2026. Completion is scheduled for 2019. 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.