ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
 Friday


 Serzh Sargsyan: Maintenance and development of nuclear energy
continues to be a strategic direction for Armenia

Yerevan October 27

Alexander Avanesov. The maintenance and development of nuclear energy
continues to be a strategic direction for Armenia. This was stated by
the Head of the Armenian state Serzh Sargsyan on October 27 at a
meeting of the Council for the Safety of Atomic Energy under the
President of Armenia.

He pointed to the program approved in 2015 for the modernization of
the Armenian nuclear power plant, which provides for the extension of
the lifetime of the second power unit until 2036. The President
stressed that in the presence of an atomic power station in the
structure of production of basic electricity, Armenia will provide the
necessary level of energy security. "The block is envisaged to be
prolonged until 2027, during this period of time to carry out the
phased construction of a new nuclear unit," the Armenian leader said.
In order to implement the project, the governments of Armenia and
Russia concluded agreements on the attraction of a state export credit
and a grant.

Within the framework of the program, measures are taken to improve the
security level and upgrade the unit. In the course of scheduled
maintenance work in 2017, the first stage of work to extend the life
of the ANPP was completed, as well as a comprehensive survey of the
main equipment.

As Serzh Sargsyan said, within the framework of technical assistance
of the European Union, a strategy for managing radioactive waste and
spent nuclear fuel was developed, as a result of which the Convention
on Management of Radioactive Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel was revised.
The President of the Republic of Armenia approved the revised
Convention in January 2017. Already developed, and on October 5 this
year. The government approved the strategy for the safe management of
radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. In this context, a second
national report is being finalized, which will be submitted to the
IAEA before the end of 2017. It is planned that the new structure -
the national operator - will deal with the management of radioactive
waste and spent nuclear fuel.

The President informed that in September 2016 the final version of the
expert assessment of the stress test of the Armenian NPP was
presented, the results of which are included in the program of
activities for the implementation of the project for the extension of
the second power unit of the ANPP. Armenia also carries out activities
on the advice and proposals submitted to the IAEA.

In order to ensure safe operation of the plant, the head of the
Armenian state indicated the importance of a full-fledged upgrade of
equipment for simulators. The first stage of work in this direction
was completed in January of this year; currently work is under way to
prepare for the second stage, in connection with which a tender is
announced. The Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural
Resources was instructed to implement these activities as soon as
possible.

"We attach special importance to the training of personnel for the
nuclear power industry of Armenia, and the involvement of young
specialists in this sphere is a vital necessity, thus ensuring the
continuity of generations." Training is the most important task, the
solution of which will assist in maintaining the existing
infrastructure in the country, the RA President said. He also stressed
the importance of the coordinated work of the Armenian NPP with the
State Committee for Regulation of Nuclear Safety of the Republic of
Armenia. 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 on
peaceful and safe use of nuclear energy.