Tweet
ARMENIAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT'S SERVICE LIFE CAN BE EXTENDED FOR ANOTHER DECADE
YEREVAN, November 2. /ARKA/. Armenian Nuclear Power Plant's service
life can be extended at least for another ten years, Ashot Martirosyan,
the head of the State Committee on Nuclear Safety, told journalists
on Friday.
In April 2012, Armenian government extended the service life of the
plant's second unit. The government said that the license for the
second unit's operation was provided to the plant in 2011 for ten
years, in accordance with the law although it was expected to be shut
down in 2016.
"Taking into account other countries' experience in operating
nuclear power plants with a similar reactor, we can say that this
plant's operation can be extended at least for another ten years,"
Martirosyan said adding that particular terms will be known after
appropriate studies.
He pointed out Finland as an example saying that its nuclear plant's
service life has been extended for 15 years despite the plant generates
10% more electric power than projected.
Martirosyan said Armenia uses only 92% of its plant's capacity,
and this makes the plant's operation safer.
He added that if there were risks in terms of safety, there would be
no talk about extension of the plant's operation.
The head of the committee also said that Japan's Fukushima nuclear
disaster has forced the world to tighten requirements to nuclear
plants' safety and to conduct stress tests at already functioning
nuclear plants and at those under construction.
He said the Armenia's nuclear plant has already undergone stress
tests. The results of these tests will be sent to the European Union
in May 2013 as part of the national report, and later, in August,
the European Union will release its conclusion.
"I am convinced that the stress test results will be positive,
since our nuclear plant is under intense scrutiny, and its safety is
constantly watched," he said.
Martirosyan said that the United States and IAEA support Armenia in
its efforts to ensure and increase safety of the plant.
The Metsamor plant, which accounts for about 40 percent of Armenia's
electricity, is located some 30 kilometers west of Yerevan. It 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. The plant's financial flows have been managed
since 2033 by Russian Inter RAO UES, owned by Russian Rosatom.
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. -0-
YEREVAN, November 2. /ARKA/. Armenian Nuclear Power Plant's service
life can be extended at least for another ten years, Ashot Martirosyan,
the head of the State Committee on Nuclear Safety, told journalists
on Friday.
In April 2012, Armenian government extended the service life of the
plant's second unit. The government said that the license for the
second unit's operation was provided to the plant in 2011 for ten
years, in accordance with the law although it was expected to be shut
down in 2016.
"Taking into account other countries' experience in operating
nuclear power plants with a similar reactor, we can say that this
plant's operation can be extended at least for another ten years,"
Martirosyan said adding that particular terms will be known after
appropriate studies.
He pointed out Finland as an example saying that its nuclear plant's
service life has been extended for 15 years despite the plant generates
10% more electric power than projected.
Martirosyan said Armenia uses only 92% of its plant's capacity,
and this makes the plant's operation safer.
He added that if there were risks in terms of safety, there would be
no talk about extension of the plant's operation.
The head of the committee also said that Japan's Fukushima nuclear
disaster has forced the world to tighten requirements to nuclear
plants' safety and to conduct stress tests at already functioning
nuclear plants and at those under construction.
He said the Armenia's nuclear plant has already undergone stress
tests. The results of these tests will be sent to the European Union
in May 2013 as part of the national report, and later, in August,
the European Union will release its conclusion.
"I am convinced that the stress test results will be positive,
since our nuclear plant is under intense scrutiny, and its safety is
constantly watched," he said.
Martirosyan said that the United States and IAEA support Armenia in
its efforts to ensure and increase safety of the plant.
The Metsamor plant, which accounts for about 40 percent of Armenia's
electricity, is located some 30 kilometers west of Yerevan. It 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. The plant's financial flows have been managed
since 2033 by Russian Inter RAO UES, owned by Russian Rosatom.
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. -0-