Armenia nuclear power plant re-launched

Armenia nuclear power plant re-launched

TASS
October 4, 2004 Monday

By Tigran Liloyan

YEREVAN

The Armenian nuclear power plant has been successfully re-launched
after 65 days of overhaul and replacement of fuel.

The plant’s reactor has been started overnight, the director-general
of the plant, Gagik Markosyan, told Itar-Tass on Monday. Tuning
operations and physical experiments are being carried out.

The plant will join Armenia’s energy system in the night to Tuesday,
he said.

The Armenian nuclear power plant was shut down on July 31 for the
overhaul, which was the largest during its whole history.

All spent fuel was unloaded. The steel jacket of the reactor was
examined and fresh fuel loaded.

Specialists of Russia’s Research Institute of Nuclear Power Plants and
the Czech Republic’s company Skoda carried out this work.

Russia’s holding company InterRAO EES bought and delivered to the
plant 100 cassettes with nuclear fuel worth 12 million dollars.

The Armenian nuclear power plant was opened in 1979 and stopped in
1989 after a destructive earthquake.

It was reopened in 1996 with assistance from Russian specialists who
re-launched the second reactor.

The plant’s electric output last year accounted for 38 percent of
Armenia’s total energy supply.

According to a Russian-Armenian intergovernmental accord, financial
management of the nuclear power plant was turned over to InterRAO EES,
the daughter firm of Russia’s national electricity utility RAO EES.

Meanwhile, the European Union urges for closure of the Armenian
nuclear power plant that is located 40 kilometres west of Yerevan.

Armenian authorities say such step is only possible if alternative
sources of energy become available.