Most logical for Armenia to build new Russian-designed nuclear power  unit - IAEA

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.