Armatom chief says Armenian Nuclear Power Plant needs new unit

SOCHI, NOVEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. The Director of the Armatom Armenian Scientific-Research Institute for Nuclear Power Plant Operations and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant Vahram Petrosyan says building a new power unit at the Armenian NPP is important in terms of energy security because the lifecycle of the current second power unit can’t be extended unlimitedly. Petrosyan said he’d want Armenia to have a new power unit after 2036 when asked by ARMENPRESS at the Atomexpo 2022 forum in Sochi.

“Rosatom is offering 1000MW and higher nuclear power units. I think average capacity power units are the best for our networks,” Petrosyan said.

He said that right now a 1000MW or 1200MW power unit is too much for Armenia, but if authorities would find a solution, for example selling half of the output to the southern neighbor, it would be a good option. In that case, Petrosyan said, Iran too can have participation in the construction process. However, he said that the issue of building a 1200MW unit must be deliberated because there is an issue of the cooling water.

“We must have it anyway, because the energy security of our country will be ensured if we were to have a nuclear power unit. We can extend the lifecycle of the second power unit once more by 2036, and then assuming for 5 years, but not more. I’d like us to have a new power unit after 2036,” Petrosyan said, mentioning the risk of nearing depleting resources.

Nevertheless, Petrosyan said that building a new power unit would be expensive and would depend on the geopolitical situation, the relations of Armenia, and whether the country will be able to return the invested money and with what funds it will be implemented.

Building the new power unit would take no less than 10 years, therefore Armenia could start the process from 2026.

He added that the Atomexpo 2022 enables to get acquainted with Rosatom’s current activities, what power units it is building now, and cooperation options with various Russian enterprises. Petrosyan mentioned Russia’s MBIR- the multipurpose fastneutronresearch reactor program. He said Armatom could join the project and apply the results in Armenia. “It would mean having a new materials science. New isotopes used in medicine can be developed and acquired there.”

Anna Grigoryan