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SARKISIAN SIGNALS DELAY IN METSAMOR CLOSURE
Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenialiberty.org
Dec 6 2011
President Serzh Sarkisian on Tuesday gave more indications that
Armenian government will likely delay the decommissioning of the
nuclear power station at Metsamor that was originally expected to
start by 2017.
Sarkisian said that the fate of Metsamor's sole functioning reactor is
"closely connected" with time frames for the planned construction of
a new and more powerful plant at the same site about 40 kilometers
west of Yerevan.
Yerevan has been under pressure from the United States and the European
Union to shut down the Soviet-era facility ever since one of its
two reactors built in the 1970s was reactivated in 1995. Armenian
officials for years insisted that the reactor, which provides about
40 percent of Armenia's electricity, is safe enough to continue to
operate at least until 2016.
The government announced in 2005 that it is already making preparations
for the launch of the decommissioning process. It said the costly
process will be completed in time for the construction of a new
reactor meeting modern safety standards. Officials in Yerevan insisted
afterwards that work on the facility will start by 2012.
The head of Armenia's the State Committee on Nuclear Safety, Ashot
Martirosian, called that target date "not realistic" last year. He
suggested that Metsamor's decommissioning is therefore likely to be
postponed by several years.
Armenia -- President Serzh Sargsian speaks at the meeting of Council
for Nuclear Security in Yerevan. 06Dec., 2010to journalists in Gavar.
26Nov., 2011xArmenia -- President Serzh Sargsian speaks at the
meeting of Council for Nuclear Security in Yerevan. 06Dec., 2010to
journalists in Gavar. 26Nov., 2011 â~@~Kâ~@~KSarkisian appeared to
echo that view as he addressed a regular session of another, advisory
body also dealing with nuclear safety.
"It is obvious that in case of a delay in the introduction of the
new [nuclear] power-generating unit, we will have to solve the issue
of extending the operations of the Armenian Nuclear Power Station's
[functioning] second power-generating unit," he told the body headed
by Adolf Berghoffer, a German nuclear scientist.
Sarkisian insisted that continued reliance on atomic energy is vital
for Armenia's energy security. "We are obliged to have a nuclear
plant and atomic energy at the heart of our energy system," he said.
"Therefore, we must be able to combine what is beneficial for us
with safety."
The possible delay acknowledged by the president reflects the Armenian
government's failure so far attract some $4.5 billion in foreign
investments needed for building the new plant.
According to Energy and Natural Resources Minister Armen Movsisian,
Russia's Rosatom state nuclear energy corporation is ready to
invest up to half of the required sum. "There are candidates from
different countries for the remaining 50 percent," Movsisian told
RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) "Discussions with them are
in progress."
"We are continuing negotiations on attracting other investors,"
Sarkisian said, for his part. He noted in that context that he
discussed French companies' involvement in the ambitious project with
France's President Nicolas Sarkozy when the latter visited Yerevan
in October.
Neither Sarkisian nor Movsisian mentioned any possible dates for the
start of the new plant's construction.
In a related development, Movsisian announced that the Armenian
government will soon take over Metsamor's financial management from
RAO Unified Energy Systems (UES), Russia's state-controlled electricity
distribution company.
A UES subsidiary, Inter RAO, gained control of Metsamor's finances in
2003 in return for repaying its $40 million debts to Russian nuclear
fuel suppliers. Inter RAO said late last month that it wants to
terminate the management contract that was due to expire in 2013.
"There have been structural changes within Inter RAO, as a result of
which it now only deals with electricity sales," said Movsisian.
"Under its new statutes, it has no right to operate other facilities."
From: Baghdasarian
Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenialiberty.org
Dec 6 2011
President Serzh Sarkisian on Tuesday gave more indications that
Armenian government will likely delay the decommissioning of the
nuclear power station at Metsamor that was originally expected to
start by 2017.
Sarkisian said that the fate of Metsamor's sole functioning reactor is
"closely connected" with time frames for the planned construction of
a new and more powerful plant at the same site about 40 kilometers
west of Yerevan.
Yerevan has been under pressure from the United States and the European
Union to shut down the Soviet-era facility ever since one of its
two reactors built in the 1970s was reactivated in 1995. Armenian
officials for years insisted that the reactor, which provides about
40 percent of Armenia's electricity, is safe enough to continue to
operate at least until 2016.
The government announced in 2005 that it is already making preparations
for the launch of the decommissioning process. It said the costly
process will be completed in time for the construction of a new
reactor meeting modern safety standards. Officials in Yerevan insisted
afterwards that work on the facility will start by 2012.
The head of Armenia's the State Committee on Nuclear Safety, Ashot
Martirosian, called that target date "not realistic" last year. He
suggested that Metsamor's decommissioning is therefore likely to be
postponed by several years.
Armenia -- President Serzh Sargsian speaks at the meeting of Council
for Nuclear Security in Yerevan. 06Dec., 2010to journalists in Gavar.
26Nov., 2011xArmenia -- President Serzh Sargsian speaks at the
meeting of Council for Nuclear Security in Yerevan. 06Dec., 2010to
journalists in Gavar. 26Nov., 2011 â~@~Kâ~@~KSarkisian appeared to
echo that view as he addressed a regular session of another, advisory
body also dealing with nuclear safety.
"It is obvious that in case of a delay in the introduction of the
new [nuclear] power-generating unit, we will have to solve the issue
of extending the operations of the Armenian Nuclear Power Station's
[functioning] second power-generating unit," he told the body headed
by Adolf Berghoffer, a German nuclear scientist.
Sarkisian insisted that continued reliance on atomic energy is vital
for Armenia's energy security. "We are obliged to have a nuclear
plant and atomic energy at the heart of our energy system," he said.
"Therefore, we must be able to combine what is beneficial for us
with safety."
The possible delay acknowledged by the president reflects the Armenian
government's failure so far attract some $4.5 billion in foreign
investments needed for building the new plant.
According to Energy and Natural Resources Minister Armen Movsisian,
Russia's Rosatom state nuclear energy corporation is ready to
invest up to half of the required sum. "There are candidates from
different countries for the remaining 50 percent," Movsisian told
RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) "Discussions with them are
in progress."
"We are continuing negotiations on attracting other investors,"
Sarkisian said, for his part. He noted in that context that he
discussed French companies' involvement in the ambitious project with
France's President Nicolas Sarkozy when the latter visited Yerevan
in October.
Neither Sarkisian nor Movsisian mentioned any possible dates for the
start of the new plant's construction.
In a related development, Movsisian announced that the Armenian
government will soon take over Metsamor's financial management from
RAO Unified Energy Systems (UES), Russia's state-controlled electricity
distribution company.
A UES subsidiary, Inter RAO, gained control of Metsamor's finances in
2003 in return for repaying its $40 million debts to Russian nuclear
fuel suppliers. Inter RAO said late last month that it wants to
terminate the management contract that was due to expire in 2013.
"There have been structural changes within Inter RAO, as a result of
which it now only deals with electricity sales," said Movsisian.
"Under its new statutes, it has no right to operate other facilities."
From: Baghdasarian