Pashinyan presented the advantage of building modular nuclear power plants in Armenia

At a government meeting, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan presented the advantages of building modular nuclear power plants in the republic.

“We are at the stage of discussing options for constructing a nuclear power plant in Armenia. Now there are new technologies, there are nuclear power plants known to us and there are modular nuclear power plants. During discussions of the 2023 reports, representatives of the Nuclear Safety Regulatory Committee shared information that is of vital importance. It is like this - in the case of modular technologies, when an accident occurs at a nuclear reactor, this is considered a local problem. This means that when an accident occurs, residents of a nearby settlement are not evacuated, because the accident does not pose a threat,” Pashinyan said.

He noted that it is necessary to continue gaining knowledge in this area.

“We are now studying all the proposals to understand which of them corresponds to the national interests of Armenia. At this stage there cannot be a final decision because discussions must continue,” the prime minister said.

In turn, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel Sanosyan drew attention to another aspect.

“By studying all the models, we are trying to understand which one will fit correctly into our system and work correctly in our energy mix in the next 60 or 100 years. Considering that it will cost several billion dollars, we also need to find the right financing mechanism, since the cost will depend on this,” he said.

Pashinyan, in turn, said that political will must be shown in certain sectors and, for example, renewable energy should be developed in Armenia regardless of its cost.

About the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant

The Armenian nuclear power plant, the only one in the South Caucasus region, is located near the city of Metsamor - approximately 30 km west of Yerevan. The plant is one of the main sources of electricity in the country, providing up to 40% of total output. Its service life has been extended until 2026, and work is underway to re-extend it for another 10 years. Work is planned to begin in the fall of 2023 and be completed within two years.

It is planned to build a new nuclear power plant within 8-10 years; various options are now being compared and the experience of partners from Russia, the USA, and South Korea is being studied. The preliminary feasibility study for the construction of a new 1,200 MW unit, developed by the state corporation Rosatom, is already under consideration by the Armenian side.