Tweet
GOVERNMENT APPROVES PROCEDURE FOR INVESTIGATION INTO POSSIBLE ACCIDENTS AT METSAMOR NPP
/ARKA/
APRIL 5, 2012
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, April 5. /ARKA/. The Armenian government has approved today
a procedure designed for investigation of possible accidents at the
nuclear power plant in MetSamor. Ashot Martirosian, head of Armenia's
State Committee on Nuclear Safety, said the procedure was developed
based on International Atomic Enegry Agency (IAEA) safety standards.
The Metsamor plant, which accounts for about 40 percent of Armenia's
electricity, has undergone numerous safety upgrades since being
reactivated in 1995. According to government figures, Armenia has
received $130 million worth of assistance from the United States,
the European Union, Russia and other international bodies to upgrade
the plant's safety.
The plant located some 30 kilometers west of Yerevan, was built in the
1970s but was closed following a devastating earthquake in 1988 that
killed some 25,000 people and devastated much of northern Armenia. 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 plant. The new plant is supposed to
operate at twice the capacity of the Soviet-constructed facility.
/ARKA/
APRIL 5, 2012
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, April 5. /ARKA/. The Armenian government has approved today
a procedure designed for investigation of possible accidents at the
nuclear power plant in MetSamor. Ashot Martirosian, head of Armenia's
State Committee on Nuclear Safety, said the procedure was developed
based on International Atomic Enegry Agency (IAEA) safety standards.
The Metsamor plant, which accounts for about 40 percent of Armenia's
electricity, has undergone numerous safety upgrades since being
reactivated in 1995. According to government figures, Armenia has
received $130 million worth of assistance from the United States,
the European Union, Russia and other international bodies to upgrade
the plant's safety.
The plant located some 30 kilometers west of Yerevan, was built in the
1970s but was closed following a devastating earthquake in 1988 that
killed some 25,000 people and devastated much of northern Armenia. 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 plant. The new plant is supposed to
operate at twice the capacity of the Soviet-constructed facility.