YEREVAN TO HOST MAY 18-19 GATHERING OF EXPERTS IN NUCLEAR ENERGY SECURITY

/ARKA/
April 28, 2010
YEREVAN

Yerevan will host on May 18-19 a gathering of experts in nuclear energy
security who will discuss Armenian Metsamor nuclear power plant’s safe
operation. Andrei Chupov from the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA), he is in charge of technical projects implementation, said
Tuesday in Yerevan that the participants of the meeting will discuss
a wide array of issues, including raising the plant’s seismic safety.

He said experts from the United States, the Czech republic, Russia
and some other countries have confirmed their participation. The
gathering is being organized by Armenian ministry of energy and
natural resources.

In a related development president Serzh Sargsyan spoke against
postponement of a visit to Armenia by Operating Safety Analysis Review
Team of the IAEA, planned for 2011 May. Speaking at the 11-th meeting
of the Presidential Atomic Security Council in Yerevan he said he
told the management of the Armenian nuclear power plant to look into
the issue and make sure that the mission takes place in 2011 May.

Armenia wants to replace the aging Metsamor plant by 2017. With
a projected capacity of 1,060 megawatts, the new facility would be
more than twice as powerful as Metsamor’s sole operating reactor that
generates more than 40% of Armenia’s electricity. The new unit will
serve for 60 years and secure European safety level.

The Armenian government has yet to attract funding for the project
which is estimated to cost as much as $5 billion. In an attempt to
attract foreign investors Armenian parliament revoked a state monopoly
on ownership of nuclear power facilities. Construction is expected to
start in 2011. Under a 2003 agreement Armenian nuclear power plant’s
financial flows are managed by Russian Inter RAO UES, owned by Russian
state-run Rosatom corporation. The agreement expires in 2013.