ArmInfo. The Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia is seeking a candidate for the position of Acting General Director of the newly established CJSC "Construction of a New Nuclear Power Plant."
According to a statement from the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, in accordance with a government decree dated August 1, 2024, it is planned to establish CJSC "Construction of a New Nuclear Power Plant" to manage the construction program for a new nuclear power unit in Armenia. To implement the process of forming the company's executive body, the ministry is seeking a suitable specialist to serve as the acting general director of the CJSC until the vacant general director position is filled based on the results of a competition. The initial phase is planned to include forming the company's executive body, ensuring its state registration in accordance with the procedure established by the RA Law "On State Registration of Legal Entities, Separate Divisions, Institutions, and Individual Entrepreneurs," and fulfilling the functions stipulated by the CJSC's charter.
The company's functions will be aimed at attracting appropriate personnel for the construction of a new nuclear power unit in Armenia and developing their competencies so that a professional opinion can be submitted to the Armenian government on the selection of construction technology for the new nuclear power unit. It should be noted that a closed joint-stock company is planned to be established to manage the project to construct a new nuclear power unit in Armenia. The decision to establish the closed joint-stock company was made at a meeting of the Armenian government on August 1 of last year. The new company will be called "Construction of a New Nuclear Power Unit." According to the Armenian government's program, the peaceful development of nuclear energy is one of the keys to the sustainable development of Armenia's energy sector, as envisioned in the strategy for the development of the domestic energy sector until 2040. Specifically, it is planned to replace the capacity of the currently operating second power unit of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant at the site of the existing plant. The Armenian government has not ruled out the construction of a small modular reactor or reactors, if economically feasible. The proposed project proposes the creation of an organization that will comply with the standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The organization's legal form and personnel selection must also comply with IAEA standards, and funding must be provided from the state budget of the Republic of Armenia. Overall management of the company must be carried out by an authorized body, in this case the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia. This organization must conduct a comparative study of all proposed technologies and feasibility studies, based on which it will submit a professional proposal for the selection of a technology. Once the proposal is approved by the Government of the Republic of Armenia, the company will be required to negotiate and prepare documents related to the construction, financing, ownership, and operation of a new nuclear power unit or units, following the adoption of a law on the construction of a new nuclear power unit.
The company will manage, organize, and be responsible for the construction of the new nuclear power unit, i.e., act as the project executor. Depending on the stages of the above-mentioned work, the CJSC will be staffed with the appropriate personnel and will subsequently become the operator upon completion of the new unit. Approximately 800 million drams were allocated for the establishment and operation of the company in 2024, with an additional 800 million drams allocated in subsequent years. Based on IAEA recommendations, the implementation of such a project requires a staff of 50-60 highly qualified specialists in various fields (electric power, nuclear physics, environmental protection, education, urban planning, etc.). After the creation of this organization and the recruitment of the appropriate personnel, the company will be able to submit a substantiated proposal to the government regarding the choice of technology within 1.5-2 years.
As a reminder, the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP) is currently implementing a project to extend the service life of Unit 2 until 2036. The Armenian government allocated $165 million for these purposes. A new nuclear power unit must be built in the country by the specified deadline.
