RUSSIAN ACADEMICIAN: NEW NPP TO GIVE ARMENIA GEOPOLITICAL ADVANTAGE

ARKA
Oct 23, 2008

YEREVAN, October 23. /ARKA/. Construction of the new nuclear
power plant (NPP) will give Armenia a huge export potential and
a geopolitical advantage as compared with other countries, Head of
"Doctor of Business Administration" program academician of the Russian
Academy of Sciences Abel Aghanbegyan said.

If this happens, Armenia will start supplying electricity to Turkey
and Georgia and these countries will depend on Armenia to a certain
extent," Aghanbegyan told journalists Thursday. He also pointed out
the possibility of exporting power also to Iran and Iraq.

Earlier, Armenian Deputy Minister of Energy and natural Resources Areg
Galstyan said that the construction of the new nuclear power plant
may start in 2011. The new NPP is expected to be commissioned in 2017.

According to estimates of PA Consulting Group, the construction
of the new unit will cost $5.2-7.2bln if the output of the unit is
1,200 megawatt.

Expected prices for power produced by the new NPP are 7.2-12.7 cents
per kilowatt-hour depending on investments.