ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
 Friday


Professor: European Union requirements on the closure of the Armenian
nuclear power plant concern the decommissioning of the first power
unit of the station

Yerevan October 27

Alexander Avanesov. The requirements of the European Union on the
closure of the Armenian nuclear power plant concern the
decommissioning of the first power unit of the plant. The Director
General of the Scientific Research Institute "Armatom", Professor
Vahram Petrosyan, stated this on October 27 at the press conference in
Yerevan.

According to him, the first unit is currently not in operation, and
the second unit is carrying out measures to extend the period of its
operation for a period of 10 years. At present, the block on the basis
of international experience with Russian specialists is carrying out a
program to extend the life of the A2A2 power unit until the year 2026,
inclusive. In this case, the first power unit will become a donor for
the second. Vahram Petrosyan reminded that, as a rule, 30 years or
more extends the service life of such units. Examples of Russia,
Ukraine, Hungary, Finland - a clear proof of this.

The professor noted the need for parallel development of alternative
and renewable energy, but nuclear energy has no alternative, since it
concerns both the security of the energy complex of Armenia and the
country as a whole. "We will not be able to provide other alternative
sources of industrial importance in the coming years," Vahram
Petrosyan said. He stressed that according to all international expert
assessments, the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant is a safe facility that
will function until alternative capacities are created. And these
capacities are associated with the construction of a new block of
medium capacity or several small units. In the next 2 years this
project will be reflected in the decision of the Armenian government.

The chairman of the Nuclear Energy Security Council under the
President of the Republic of Armenia Miroslav Lipar (Slovakia),
responding to the question of ArmInfo, noted that Armenia is visited
periodically by various specialized missions, including the IAEA,
which issue opinions and recommendations that allow to constantly
raise safety level of the Armenian NPP. These works are carried out in
accordance with the experience accumulated in other countries on
similar blocks with the WWER reactor - Slovakia, Czech Republic,
Russia, Hungary. In countries where nuclear power plants are in
operation, extending their life is a standard procedure.

Even in the United States, where the lifetime of nuclear reactors is
limited to 40 years, work is now being carried out to extend the life
of the reactors by another 20 years. "In Armenia and Slovakia, the
operating lifetimes of operating reactors are 30 years, but there are
all grounds for extending their operation for another 10 years, after
which, after carrying out the relevant surveys, it will be possible to
conclude that the future of the blocks will continue," Miroslav Lipar
said. Armenia, according to him, benefits from constant inspections of
the state of its nuclear power unit. Earlier, Minister of Energy
Infrastructures and Natural Resources of the Republic of Armenia Ashot
Manukyan noted that the capabilities of the second power unit of the
ANPP are not infinite, but it will work as long as the resource
allows. Only after that it will be closed, and in exchange a new
atomic block will be built.

The Armenian nuclear power plant consists of two units with Soviet
(Russian) WWER reactors. The first unit was commissioned in 1976, the
second - in 1980. In March 1989, after the Spitak earthquake, which
killed 25 thousand people, the station's work was stopped. In November
1995, in connection with the most acute energy crisis, the second
power unit of the station with a capacity of 407.5 MW was involved. In
March 2014, the Armenian government decided to extend the life of the
second power unit by 10 years - until 2026. The project is coordinated
by the subsidiary structure of the State Corporation Rosatom - JSC
Rusatom Service. Completion of work is planned for 2019. The
Government of the Russian Federation allocated a $ 270 million state
export loan to Armenia and a $ 30 million grant for these purposes. In
March 2015, the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) was established to
implement the program. So far, there have been five meetings of the
JCC.

The Council for the Safety of Atomic Energy under the President of the
Republic of Armenia was established in 1996 by a presidential decree.
This independent advisory body was created on the basis of the need to
ensure the further safe operation of the Armenian nuclear power plant.
The council is formed of scientists and specialists of the sphere,
having international recognition and authority. The activities of the
Council are carried out through meetings of the Council, which are
convened once a year. According to the Charter, the main tasks of the
Council are: formation of safety of nuclear energy and priority
directions of its development, development of recommendations on
problems and preparation of proposals, analysis and examination of
draft normative legal acts submitted to the President of the Republic
of Armenia regarding peaceful and safe use of atomic energy.