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Russia: Armenia inks deal for uranium enrichment

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  • Russia: Armenia inks deal for uranium enrichment

    Energy Publisher, TX
    Feb 10 2008


    Russia: Armenia inks deal for uranium enrichment

    The agreement to join the enrichment center was signed by the prime
    ministers of the two countries.

    by World Nuclear News


    Armenia has signed an agreement with Russia to join the international
    uranium enrichment center to be set up in Siberia. The two countries
    have also agreed to set up a joint venture for uranium exploration.

    The agreement to join the enrichment center was signed by the prime
    ministers of the two countries, Victor Zubkov and Serzh Sarkisyan,
    during a visit by Zubkov to the Armenian capital Yerevan. Armenia now
    joins Kazakhstan and Russia in the venture to set up a shared
    enrichment centre at Russia's existing Angarsk plant. Ukraine has
    also expressed interest in signing up.

    The international center is seen as a first step towards an
    internationalized nuclear fuel cycle and possible nuclear fuel
    'bank', which would contribute to non-proliferation aims by ensuring
    security of supply of nuclear fuel without countries needing to
    establish their own fuel production facilities.

    The two countries also signed a memorandum to set up a 50:50
    Russian-Armenian joint venture to explore for uranium and other
    minerals in Armenia, with prospecting activities due to begin in
    September 2008.

    Speaking after the prime ministerial talks, Sergei Kiryenko, head of
    Russian state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom also told reporters
    that Russia would be the likely winners of a tender for the
    construction of a new 1000 MWe nuclear power plant on the site of
    Armenia's existing Metsamor plant. Kiriyenko said the government of
    Armenia would announce a tender for the construction of new nuclear
    power plant, adding modestly: "We are going to take part in it and we
    have quite good chances to win."

    The Metsamor power station originally hosted two nuclear units. Both
    were closed down after a severe earthquake in 1988 triggered concerns
    about their seismic vulnerability. One unit is now undergoing
    decommissioning but the other restarted operations in 1995 and is
    earmarked for closure around 2016. Armenia relies on Metsamor for
    over 40% of its electricity and in November 2007 the USA also
    signalled its support for nuclear new build in the country, pledging
    a reported $2 million towards planning studies.

    http://www.energypublisher.com/article.a sp?id=14331
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