ArmInfo.A final decision on the type and manufacturer of the nuclear power plant to be built in Armenia should be made by 2027. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced this at the plenary session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia on August 24.
According to him, the service life of the current nuclear power plant will be exhausted by 2036. The prime minister recalled that Armenia had committed to closing the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant even before the 2018 revolution. However, as the head of government noted, technological advances could allow the operation of the plant's second power unit to be extended beyond 2036.
The Prime Minister emphasized that Armenia is actively moving toward energy independence. This has become a reality relatively recently, thanks to the development of renewable energy, particularly solar energy.
"The Republic of Armenia has enormous solar resources, and we are developing them. Today, we have solar power plants with a capacity of 1,213 megawatts, compared to 16 megawatts in 2018. Now, to ensure further development, we will begin building energy storage facilities in the Republic of Armenia so that they will collect solar energy generated during the day and provide us with the necessary electricity at night," he said. The Prime Minister noted that by 2031, the plan is to have storage facilities with a capacity of at least 800 megawatts, which is approximately double the installed capacity of existing nuclear power plants.
As a reminder, the Prime Minister previously stated that there is potential to extend the service life of Unit 2 of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant for another 10 years beyond 2036. He noted that the plant is currently in the process of extending the life of its second power unit until 2036. With another 10 years, the unit will be able to operate until 2046. A decision on the new plant must be made during this period. Nuclear reactor models proposed by Russia, the United States, France, China, and South Korea are being studied.
"We are conducting transparent negotiations with all our partners. Our decision, which will be strategic in nature, must be based on the most advantageous offer that meets the interests of the republic," the head of government said.
He emphasized the importance of conducting research into the international nuclear technology market. Pashinyan recalled that the current tariff for electricity generated at the ANPP is the lowest in the country. However, as the prime minister noted, the world's fuel reserves for nuclear power plants are sufficient for 70 years. Therefore, it is crucial to know the cost of 1 kWh of electricity in 40 years. This raises the question of economic feasibility and the potential for return on investment. True, as the Prime Minister noted, there is already experience in re-enriching used fuel. In any case, Pashinyan emphasized, the issue must be addressed at a cost.
Since May of this year, the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant has been shut down for a five-month scheduled maintenance. During this period, the main work will be carried out under the second life extension program for Unit 2 of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant. $165 million saved from the first extension program will be used to address this issue. Previously, the country's authorities announced a conceptual decision to build a nuclear power plant with small modular reactors.
