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BUSINESS AS USUAL AT ARMENIAN PLANT
World Nuclear News
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/C-Business_as_usual_at_Armenian_plant-2811117.html
Nov 28 2011
Operations at Armenia's Metsamor nuclear power plant would not be
affected by the early termination of a trust management contract
with Inter RAO UES of Russia, Armenia's energy and natural resources
ministry has announced.
Day-to-day operations at Armenia's only nuclear power plant are
managed through the Armenian ministry and not through the Russian
energy company which has been responsible for the financial management
of the plant since 2003, according to an official release published
in Armenian.
All the fuel for Metsamor is supplied by Russia, incurring debts of
some $40 million for Armenia over the period 1995-2001. As part of an
arrangement to pay off the debt, the plant has been formally operated
by Russian interests since 2003, firstly through a subsidiary of RAO
UES and Rosenergoatom and latterly through Inter RAO in a contract
that had been extended to 2013. Now, according to press reports
cited by Armenia's ARKA news agency, the Russian energy company is
looking to terminate the contract as it no longer fits in with its
strategic objectives.
According to the ministerial statement, Inter RAO has fully met its
responsibilities under the trust management agreement to ensure the
payment of debts to Russian fuel supplier TVEL and stabilise the
plant's financial situation. The management contract is a formality
which the ministry says is now largely unnecessary.
Two 376 MWe VVER-440 V-230 reactors were built at Armenia's only
nuclear power plant, but were shut in 1989 following concerns about
their seismic safety (Armenia suffered a powerful earthquake in 1988).
One of the two units was restarted in 1995; the other is being
decommissioned.
Researched and written by World Nuclear News
World Nuclear News
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/C-Business_as_usual_at_Armenian_plant-2811117.html
Nov 28 2011
Operations at Armenia's Metsamor nuclear power plant would not be
affected by the early termination of a trust management contract
with Inter RAO UES of Russia, Armenia's energy and natural resources
ministry has announced.
Day-to-day operations at Armenia's only nuclear power plant are
managed through the Armenian ministry and not through the Russian
energy company which has been responsible for the financial management
of the plant since 2003, according to an official release published
in Armenian.
All the fuel for Metsamor is supplied by Russia, incurring debts of
some $40 million for Armenia over the period 1995-2001. As part of an
arrangement to pay off the debt, the plant has been formally operated
by Russian interests since 2003, firstly through a subsidiary of RAO
UES and Rosenergoatom and latterly through Inter RAO in a contract
that had been extended to 2013. Now, according to press reports
cited by Armenia's ARKA news agency, the Russian energy company is
looking to terminate the contract as it no longer fits in with its
strategic objectives.
According to the ministerial statement, Inter RAO has fully met its
responsibilities under the trust management agreement to ensure the
payment of debts to Russian fuel supplier TVEL and stabilise the
plant's financial situation. The management contract is a formality
which the ministry says is now largely unnecessary.
Two 376 MWe VVER-440 V-230 reactors were built at Armenia's only
nuclear power plant, but were shut in 1989 following concerns about
their seismic safety (Armenia suffered a powerful earthquake in 1988).
One of the two units was restarted in 1995; the other is being
decommissioned.
Researched and written by World Nuclear News