USA WILLING TO SUPPORT ARMENIA IN SETTING FAVOURABLE INVESTMENT CLIMATE FOR CONSTRUCTION OF NEW NPP
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Dec 17 2007
YEREVAN, December 17. /ARKA/. The USA is willing to assist Armenia’s
Ministry of Energy in setting attractive investment environment for
investors interested in construction of the new nuclear power plant
(NPP) in Armenia. A USA-Armenia agreement was signed to conduct the
preliminary feasibility studies for construction of the new NPP in
Armenia, the U.S. Charges d’Affaires to Armenia Joseph Penington told
journalists in Yerevan.
Penington said that the USA have always expressed concerns over the
security of the acting NPP and invested certain amounts to increase
its security level.
"We hope that the current Armenian NPP will be closed down in the
near future, yet we understand the stance of the Armenian authorities
that need alternative capacities in the country for decommissioning
the Armenian NPP," he said.
Under the Armenian-American agreement signed on November 21,
the U.S. Government is to provide $2mln to Armenia for conducting
feasibility study for construction of the new nuclear power plant
in Armenia.
Earlier Armenia’s Minister of Energy Armen Movsisian reported that
the USA provided $40-45mln for increasing the security level of the
current nuclear power plant in Armenia.
The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) was commissioned in 1976
(the second unit – in 1980).Currently only the second unit operates
providing 40-50% of the overall power produced in Armenia.
In September 2003, the financial flows of Armenian NPP were transferred
to trust management of INTER RAO EES Closed Joint Stock Company –
the daughter enterprise of RAO "EES Russia" (60% of the shares) and
"Rosenergoatom" concern (40%). According to experts, the plant can
operate till 2016.
Armenia’s Ministry of Energy Movsisian also reported that Armenia
plans to build a new NPP with capacity of 1,000 Megawatt costing
approximately $2bln. In order to attract foreign capital for
implementation of the project the Armenian Parliament has revoked
the state monopoly on owning the new NPPs.