With preparations for a new NPP power unit construction launched last year, the construction itself will start in mid 2013, according to Armenian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.

As Armen Movsisyan stated at Dec 22 news conference in Yerevan, Fukushima disaster is behind a 1-year delay of energy projects worldwide. The Minister expressed hope to discontinue operations of the old NPP in 2016-2018. “Still, it can’t be done until the new power unit is fully operable,” he noted.

The Minister also dwelled on EU assistance in providing the safety of the power plant operations and power unit construction.

According to Movsisyan, negotiations with potential partners to invest in power unit construction are in progress.