Armenia invested around USD 90 million to provide NPP operating safety

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia invested around USD 90 million to provide Nuclear Power Plant operating safety, RA Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Areg Galstyan said at round table discussions on Armenia-Russia interaction in energetics sphere, held within EXPO-RUSSIA 2009 Armenia exhibition frameworks.



In this context, Galstyan added that many countries, including USA, Italy, Czechia, France, England as well as Russia have already contributed to operating safety increase at NPP. "This year, Russia allocated 240 million rubles through IAEA. Some projects are already being implemented, with Russian companies' participation, Deputy Minister noted.



IAEA has also shown assistance in organization of works, with part of financing provided by RA government.



Besides, works are conducted to decommission the old NPP. "Decommissioning the old plant and the launch of the new one will probably be synchronized," Areg Glastyan added.



Armenia plans the construction of a 1000-megawatt nuclear power unit, construction costs totaling around USD 5 billion.



The Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant was built during the 1970s, about thirty kilometers west of Yerevan. The plant was constructed with two VVER-440 Model V230 nuclear reactors. It was closed due to the 1988 earthquake in Armenia. The Armenian government decided to reopen the plant in 1993. The Unit 2 reactor was brought back into operation in 1995. The resources of the working Armenian nuclear power plant will be exhausted by 2016.