ARMENPRESS

STRATEGY TO CLOSE METSAMOR PLANT PRESENTED

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS: As part of TACIS
program the European Union has assisted Armenia to
develop a strategy to decommission its Soviet- era
built nuclear power plant in Metsamor. The strategy
was presented yesterday by Armenian energy minister
Armen Movsisian.
Speaking to reporters he said the strategy outlines
the first steps which should be made to close the
plant. To this end, he said, Armenia will have to
amend its legislation to have a legal framework and
define the successiveness of steps.
He said the Armenian parliament has passed a law
that allows foreign companies to own shares in the
future plant. He said this strategy was approved by
the government session on November 29.
The operational period of the Soviet-built nuclear
power station exhausts by 2016 when it is to be
closed, however by joining the European Neighborhood
Program (ENP) Armenia has committed to shut it down as
soon as possible.
On November 21 Joseph Pennington, the U.S. charge
d’affaires in Yerevan and Armenian energy minister
Armen Movsisian signed a statement of cooperation
under which the two parties will cooperate in
developing the planning studies for a preliminary
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Feasibility
Study for a new nuclear power generation unit in
Armenia. The US government will spend $2 million on
financing the planned studies.
According to preliminary estimations, closing of
the plant by the so-called `green meadow’ method will
cost over $240 million. EuroAtom has pledged over $200
million to the government of Armenia to this end.
The Metsamor nuclear power plant was built during
the 1970s, about thirty kilometers west of the
Armenian capital of Yerevan. The plant was constructed
with two VVER-440 Model V230 nuclear reactors, and the
technology used at the time is no longer acceptable by
modern safety standards. The reactors were put into
operation in 1976 and 1980.
After the destructive earthquake that hit northern
parts of Armenia in 1988, the former Soviet government
decided to close it down. The first reactor was halted
in 1989 February and the second in March of that year.
The energy crisis started shortly after Armenia
declared its independence and for long five years it
experienced a severe power shortage. That was why the
Armenian government decided to reopen the plant in
1993. The Unit 2 reactor was brought back into
operation on October 26, 1995. The power plant
produces about 40% of Armenia’s electricity.