ArmInfo.The choice of a new nuclear power plant model is an economic, not political, issue, as stated by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to reporters, while commenting on Russia's proposal to build a large-capacity nuclear power plant designed to secure the country's energy supply for decades.
Pashinyan noted that while Armenia has received proposals from various countries, the necessity for a high-capacity plant (ranging from 600 to 1,000 megawatts) is gradually diminishing due to the rapid growth of the domestic solar energy sector. "We have our own resource — the Sun," he stated, highlighting that the government is increasingly focusing on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). According to the Prime Minister, SMRs offer the flexibility to expand capacity by adding modular units as needed and are considered superior in terms of safety and reliability.
The Prime Minister drew a sharp distinction between modular technology and large-scale nuclear plants, referencing the Chernobyl disaster to illustrate the difference in risk profiles."This is an important issue for us. In the case of a modular nuclear power plant, an accident is considered a local incident. Roughly speaking, in the event of an accident, residents of a village located a kilometer from the plant will not have to evacuate," the head of government clarified. He emphasized that, of all the proposed options, the project that guarantees Armenia's long-term reliability and efficiency will be chosen.
