YEREVAN, MARCH 18, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant will be shut down from May 15 for 141 days for conducting some works: after the repair works in 2021 the NPP must get a new license from the regulation authority, NPP Director General Movses Vardanyan told reporters on the sidelines of the panel discussion dedicated to the atomic development prospects in Armenia.

He reminded about the program of extending the term of operation of the current unit with the Russian loan. “At that time, in 2015-2016, it has been for 10-year prospect, in other words, in 2026 the operating unit will already be in operation for 40 years. And taking into account the practice of similar units of other countries, we are planning to continue extending the operation term for another 10 years. In other words, to continue the operation of the plant after 2026, but of course in case of having respective justifications”, he said.

He considered the precautionary repair period of 2021 as one of the hardest ones in terms of organization. “The operation of the unit will be suspended for 141 days from May 15 during which we will carry out several important works for raising the safety”, he said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan