Feasibility of building new NPP in Armenia presented to premier

ArmInfo. The feasibility of building a new nuclear power unit in Armenia was presented to Prime  Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the Nuclear Safety Regulatory Committee. 

According to the prime minister's press service, Nikol Pashinyan  noted that, without knowing professional nuances, from a political  perspective he considers the option of building small modular nuclear  reactors in Armenia interesting. "In case of an accident, they do not  require the creation of emergency response zones.  In other words, if  an accident occurs, we will not apply measures to protect the  population within a radius of one hundred kilometers," the prime  minister said. In response, officials stated that the accident is  classified as internal; for these reactors, the concept of an  external accident is abolished. 

Speaking about further steps in the construction of a new nuclear  power unit, the Prime Minister noted that first we need to think  about forming a company that will implement the project.

Acting Chairman of the Committee Khachatur Khachikyan and his  deputies reported to the head of the Cabinet on the activities  carried out in 2023. In particular, the Prime Minister was presented  with the work of the Committee in the field of the use of atomic  energy, aimed at ensuring the safety of the population, facilities  using atomic energy, protecting the population and the environment  from the possible harmful effects of ionizing radiation.

It was noted that, within the framework of control over nuclear  facilities, measures are continuing to improve the safety of the  Armenian NPP and fulfill the conditions and requirements of the  license to operate the second power unit. Inspections were carried  out, reports were analyzed, and project documents were studied for  the implementation of modifications of safety-critical systems,  including the implementation of activities provided for in the  National Stress Testing Plan.

In 2024, the implementation of a program to extend the life of the N2  power unit until 2036 will begin at the Armenian NPP. 20.2 billion  drams will be allocated for these purposes. In parallel, a new  nuclear power unit must be built in the country by the specified  date. The question is the power of this unit, which must be combined  with the country's energy system. Earlier, the United States offered  Yerevan its option for the construction of small modular reactors, as  stated by Maria Longhi, coordinator of American government assistance  programs. In turn, the Russian Federation proposed its project for a  power unit with a capacity of 1200 MW, but, as the Minister of  Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of  Armenia Gnel Sanosyan previously pointed out, the construction of a  unit of such capacity is fraught with problems, since the capacity of  the entire energy system of Armenia is still the same 1200 MW. "By  the end of 2023, we must make a difficult decision on the type of  reactor," the minister emphasized.