Research is ongoing in Armenia to select model for new nuclear power  unit - minister

ArmInfo. Research is ongoing in Armenia to select a model for a new nuclear power unit, including one with a small modular reactor. This was stated by David Khudatyan, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia, during the hearings in the commissions of the  National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia on the implementation of the 2024 state budget on June 9.

According to him, in order to solve this problem, a closed  joint-stock company was created by a government decision last year, which is in the process of being completed. Based on the results of the research, an appropriate model will be selected that must correspond to the capabilities of the energy system, and sources of financing for the unit will also be determined.

Currently, the minister continued, a program is being implemented at the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant to repeatedly extend the service life of the second power unit until 2036.

The second program to extend the service life of the second power unit of the Armenian NPP operating in the country is currently being implemented by 10 years - until 2036. By this time, a new nuclear power unit should be built in the republic. The problem rests on the choice of its capacity. On August 1 last year, by the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers, CJSC "Construction of a New Nuclear Power Unit" was created, which should be engaged in the selection of the manufacturer of the new NPP, the construction process itself and further operation. The company is financed from the state budget of the country. As expected, the first results of the studies will be presented by the end of 2025.