ArmInfo. It would be most logical for Armenia to build a new Russian-designed nuclear power unit. IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the IAEA Department of Nuclear Energy Mikhail Chudakov told TASS on the sidelines of the World Atomic Week International Forum.
"Armenia needs a nuclear power plant, and the most logical thing to do is to build a new Russian-designed unit to replace the existing one. This is absolutely logical. But we see that logic doesn't always work in recent years, and political decisions prevail," Chudakov said.
He cited the situation in Eastern Europe as an example.
"The units being installed are completely untested, drawn up on paper, and have no reference. And there are no pilot projects. But they are being purchased just to avoid adopting a Russian design, which is tested, reliable, has proven itself, and is working well," Chudakov noted.
The Russian side has proposed a design for a new nuclear power unit with a capacity of 1,200 megawatts to Armenia. The design itself consists of 11 volumes and is currently under review. However, the Armenian side considers this capacity too large for a small republic. Therefore, small modular power units, primarily of American design, are being discussed.
