zaman
10.09.2007

Armenia plans nuclear plant near Turkish border

A new nuclear power plant being built in Armenia on
the site of an existing facility will end up costing
about $2 billion, Armenian Energy Minister Armen
Movsisyan has said.

"The project’s feasibility study is being carried out
by Armenia, Russia, the US and the International
Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA]. The old nuclear power
plant is to be rebuilt within four-and-a-half years,"
Movsisyan was quoted as telling the Parliament on
Friday. He said the construction of the new plant,
located in the town of Metsamor, near the Turkish
border, would require a complex refit, including the
installation of seismic safeguards.
The Metsamor nuclear reactor, which is composed of two
WWER-440-230 units, each with power levels of 408
megawatts, is located not far from the capital of
Yerevan, 16 kilometers from the Turkish border. The
Armenian government decided to open the second unit in
the reactor in 1993, due to high energy needs, and
thus the second unit was started up in 1995. The
Metsamor reactor provides up to 40 percent of
Armenia’s electricity needs and is predicted to
continue doing so until 2016. Since Yerevan decided
upgrade the reactor the Turkish Atomic Energy Agency
(TAEK) has been involved in following related
developments and taking the necessary precautions from
the Turkish side.

Movsisyan also stressed that Armenia must have a
permanent source of nuclear power and that the new
Armenian nuclear power plant must be operational until
alternative sources are found. He said that "many
foreign countries now understand that Armenia must
have a nuclear power plant." "Only a new Armenian
[nuclear power plant] can become an alternative to the
one now in use," he said.

10.09.2007

Ankara Today’s Zaman with wires