ARMENIAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT TO BE SHUT DOWN AFTER EXHAUSTING RESOURCES, PRESIDENT SAYS
ARKA
Feb 29 2008
YEREVAN, February 29. /ARKA/. The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP)
will shut down after exhausting its resources, RA President Robert
Kocharian said today during his meeting with Yerevan State University
(YSU) students.
The president pointed out that Armenia was committed to close down the
Armenian NPP in 1992-1993 after signing an agreement with the European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on the construction
of the fifth unit of the Hrazdan Thermal Power Plant (TPP).
Only after this, the country has changed its attitude to the shut
down of the NPP.
"I believe the Armenian NPP will shut down only in 2012-2014,"
Kocharian said. "We should see to the construction of a new NPP which
will become irreplaceable with oil prices constantly increasing."
The NPP started to operate in 1976 (the second unit started to operate
in 1980).
Only the second power unit of the plant with a Russian nuclear reactor
is operating at present.
The unit generates about 50% of Armenia’s electric power.
In the coming five years, the Armenia NPP will be under the trust
management of the INTER RAO UES CJSC, subsidiary of RAO UES Russia
(60% of the shares) and the ROSENERGOATOM Trust (40%).
According to specialists, the Armenian NPP in Metsamor can operate
until 2016.
About $2bln will be allocated for the construction of the new unit
of the Armenian NPP, the RA Minister of Energy.