YEREVAN, May 2. /TASS/. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and head of the Russian state corporation Rosatom Alexey Likhachev discussed extending the life of the second power unit at the Armenian NPP and the construction of a new one, the press service of the Armenian government reported on Tuesday.
"Today, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received Director General of Rosatom state corporation Alexey Likhachev as well as the delegation accompanying him. <…> The extension of the life of the second power unit at the Armenian nuclear power plant was mentioned. They also exchanged views on the construction of a new nuclear power unit in Armenia," the statement says.
The parties also touched upon possible cooperation in the field of nuclear medicine and partnership in the disposal of hazardous waste at the Nairit Plant, the press service says.
The Armenian nuclear power plant near the city of Metsamor was put into operation in 1979 and shut down in 1989 after the devastating Spitak earthquake.
In 1995, the nuclear power plant was re-commissioned with the assistance of Russian specialists, after which the industrial operation of the second power unit of the plant resumed.
Nuclear power plants generate about a third of all the electricity in Armenia. In November 2021, work was completed on a large-scale upgrade of the power unit, which made it possible to extend its service life until 2026.
In January 2022, Likhachev and ANPP Director General Eduard Mnatsakanyan signed a memorandum of cooperation on the construction of new nuclear power units. The plan is to start building them in 2026 on the territory of the nuclear power plant in Metsamor, taking into account the existing infrastructure.