Armenia to build new nuke plant if it proves efficient pricewise: minister

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia will build a new nuclear plant if it turns out to be efficient price-wise, justice minister Davit Harutyunyan told reporters on Tuesday, October 17.

The new framework agreement to be signed between Armenia and the European Union stipulates the closure and safe decommissioning of Metsamor nuclear power plant.

"Imagine for a second that modern technologies enable producing the same amount of energy with or without a nuclear plant, while a nuclear plant makes the energy we provide more expensive. Which way should we choose? Of course (we should take the path of) modern technologies," Harutyunyan said.

The minister was responding to a question about whether the government is going to abandon the idea of building a new nuclear power plant.

"The government will each time assess and make a corresponding decision, taking into account scientific advances, prices for energy carriers, current trends and the best options for Armenia," the minister said.