YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, ARMENPRESS. Armenia will reconsider the construction of a new nuclear energy block project in the coming years. Armenian is waiting for suggestions from Russia, China, and from USA to construct new nuclear energy block of average capacity. As Head of Atomic Energy Department Vahram Petrosyan told the journalists during the brief, Armenia strives to have a 500 mwt nuclear energy block. “The world goes to the fact that different countries want to create nuclear energy blocks of average capacity. I think, new energy blocks will be included in the Market soon so that we can make a right choice to have a new nuclear power plant after the end of exploitation of the second energy block”, Vahram Petrosyan informed, as “Armenpress” reports.

According to his speech, they just need to be convinced that those stations are licensed and safe from the exploitation angle. “We wait for such suggestions from Russia, China and from USA. I think that there will be new energy blocks till 2020”, he added.

Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant was built during the 1970s, only 36 kilometers west of the Armenian capital of Yerevan in the town of Metsamor. The plant was constructed with two VVER-440 Model V270 nuclear reactors. Unit 1 was shut down in 1989, but unit 2 is expected to receive a life extension enabling it to operate to 2017. The Metsamor plant is one of just a few remaining nuclear power reactors that were built without a secondary containment structure.