GENERAL DIRECTOR OF ARMENIAN NPP: EXTENSION OF NPP OPERATION TERM AFTER 2016 POSSIBLE

ARKA
Dec 3, 2008

YEREVAN, December 3. /ARKA/. General Director of Armenian Nuclear
Power Plant (NPP) Gagik Markosyan does not rule out the possibility
of extension of the operation term of Armenian NPP after 2016.

The respective decision is to be made by the country’s government,
he said at the 10th meeting of the president-headed Nuclear Power
Safety Council.

According to Markosyan, bringing the plant safety to an international
level is a first-priority task today.

"In 2016, four nuclear power units in the world, in Russia in
particular, will have already gained a 45-operation experience and
we will be able to take advantage of the experience to make a more
conservative and calm decision," Markosyan said.

The NPP General Director stressed that the final decision on extension
of the operation term will be made based on the actual condition of
the Armenian NPP in 2016.

Markosyan also reported that last week a tender was held for seismic
studies in the territory where the new nuclear power unit is to
be built.

Armenia is planning to build a new NPP unit with capacity
of approximately 1,000 megawatt costing $4bln. In 2006 Armenian
Parliament revoked the state monopoly for owning new nuclear power
units in order to attract foreign capital for the project.

The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) was commissioned=2 0in 1976
(the second unit – in 1980).Currently only the second unit of the
plant with output of 407.5 megawatt is operated.

In September 2003, the financial flows of Armenian NPP were placed in
trust management of INTER RAO EES Closed Joint Stock Company owned by
"Rosatom" Russian State Corporation. According to experts, Armenian
NPP can be operated till 201.