Tweet
ARMENIAN PRESIDENT COMMENDS FRANCE FOR WILLINGNESS TO HELP ARMENIA BUILD NEW NPP
/ARKA/
OCTOBER 7, 2011
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, October 7. / ARKA /. Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan
commended today France for its willingness to help Armenia build a
new nuclear power plant.
Armenia's nuclear power plant in Metsamor is located 30 kilometers
west of Yerevan. It was built in the 1970s but was closed following
a devastating earthquake in 1988. One of its two VVER 440-V230
light-water reactors was reactivated in 1995. Armenian authorities
said they will build a new nuclear power plant to replace the aging
Metsamor facility.
The new plant is supposed to operate at twice the capacity of the
Soviet-constructed facility. Metsamor currently generates some 40
percent of Armenia's electricity. But the government has yet to attract
funding for the project that was estimated by a U.S.-funded feasibility
study to cost at as much as $5 billion. Under a 2003 agreement Armenian
nuclear power plant's financial flows are managed by Russian Inter
RAO UES, owned by Russian state-run Rosatom corporation.
The agreement expires in 2013. In 2009 Russia and Armenia signed an
agreement on cooperation in nuclear energy sphere whereby Russia
committed to assume 20% of all expenses, estimated at $1 billion
approximately, to build the new reactor. The Armenian government
will cover another 20% of expenses and the remaining part is supposed
to come from investors. In a bid to attract foreign capital for the
project Armenia's parliament abolished in 2006 the state monopoly on
ownership of nuclear power units.
"I am glad that the president of France is ready to encourage French
companies to join Armenia's plans to build a new nuclear power
facility", Sargsyan said at a joint press conference with his French
counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy in Yerevan.
Sargsyan said also the talks have also helped specify participation
of some French companies in concrete projects in Armenia. According
to the Armenian ministry of foreign affairs, there are 155 companies
in Armenia with French capital.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
/ARKA/
OCTOBER 7, 2011
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, October 7. / ARKA /. Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan
commended today France for its willingness to help Armenia build a
new nuclear power plant.
Armenia's nuclear power plant in Metsamor is located 30 kilometers
west of Yerevan. It was built in the 1970s but was closed following
a devastating earthquake in 1988. One of its two VVER 440-V230
light-water reactors was reactivated in 1995. Armenian authorities
said they will build a new nuclear power plant to replace the aging
Metsamor facility.
The new plant is supposed to operate at twice the capacity of the
Soviet-constructed facility. Metsamor currently generates some 40
percent of Armenia's electricity. But the government has yet to attract
funding for the project that was estimated by a U.S.-funded feasibility
study to cost at as much as $5 billion. Under a 2003 agreement Armenian
nuclear power plant's financial flows are managed by Russian Inter
RAO UES, owned by Russian state-run Rosatom corporation.
The agreement expires in 2013. In 2009 Russia and Armenia signed an
agreement on cooperation in nuclear energy sphere whereby Russia
committed to assume 20% of all expenses, estimated at $1 billion
approximately, to build the new reactor. The Armenian government
will cover another 20% of expenses and the remaining part is supposed
to come from investors. In a bid to attract foreign capital for the
project Armenia's parliament abolished in 2006 the state monopoly on
ownership of nuclear power units.
"I am glad that the president of France is ready to encourage French
companies to join Armenia's plans to build a new nuclear power
facility", Sargsyan said at a joint press conference with his French
counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy in Yerevan.
Sargsyan said also the talks have also helped specify participation
of some French companies in concrete projects in Armenia. According
to the Armenian ministry of foreign affairs, there are 155 companies
in Armenia with French capital.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress