Armenian president upbeat on building new nuclear power plant

Armenian president upbeat on building new nuclear power plant

Arminfo
28 Apr 07

Yerevan, 27 April: Armenia must have nuclear power, and we are working
in this direction. Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said this
today during a meeting with students and professors of Yerevan State
University. He answered the question whether the Armenian nuclear
power plant will close down in 2016 and what steps should be taken
on this issue.

Kocharyan said that more active work in the area of decision making
will be made in 2008 and 2009. "We currently are carrying out a
serious assessment work. It is desirable that a new nuclear power
plant is built on the basis of the current infrastructure and new
technologies. The issue is what expenses it will require and what
impact it will have on rates. It can always be built, however, the
finances invested must be returned through rates. The capacity of the
plant must be decided on, as well as the amount of investments and
their return, in order not to damage the economy and the population. I
think that as early as in 2012-2013 active work will be implemented
for a new nuclear power plant and the upgrade of the current one,"
Kocharyan said.

The resources of the working Armenian nuclear power plant will
be exhausted by 2016. Armenia is currently discussing the issue
of constructing a new nuclear power plant of 1,000 mW and costing
1.5bn dollars.