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Journal of Turkish Weekly
Sept 14 2013
Armenia to extend life of ageing Metsamor nuclear plant until 2026
14 September 2013
Armenia said Sept. 13 it would extend the life of its ageing nuclear
power plant, despite safety concerns over the Soviet-era facility in
an active seismic zone.
"The atomic power station will operate until 2026," Armenia's energy
minister Armen Movsisyan told journalists. Earlier this month,
President Serzh Sarkisian reached an agreement with Russian state
nuclear agency Rosatom to help keep the plant running beyond its
original closing date of 2016. Last year, Armenia had postponed the
plant's closure until 2020.
The European Union has repeatedly called for the plant to be closed
down, arguing that it poses a threat to the region.
Armenian authorities say that the plant has undergone considerable
renovations over the past decade and has been passed fit by the
International Atomic Energy Agency.
Built in the 1970s, the Metsamor plant is located in one of the most
earthquake-prone regions on the planet, some 30 kilometres (19 miles)
west of Yerevan. The facility - which provides the tiny Caucasus
nation with around 40 percent of its power - was closed for around
seven years following a devastating earthquake in 1988.
Movsisyan said that a new facility would be built over the next decade
to eventually replace the Metsamor plant.
14 September 2013
Sept 14 2013
Armenia to extend life of ageing Metsamor nuclear plant until 2026
14 September 2013
Armenia said Sept. 13 it would extend the life of its ageing nuclear
power plant, despite safety concerns over the Soviet-era facility in
an active seismic zone.
"The atomic power station will operate until 2026," Armenia's energy
minister Armen Movsisyan told journalists. Earlier this month,
President Serzh Sarkisian reached an agreement with Russian state
nuclear agency Rosatom to help keep the plant running beyond its
original closing date of 2016. Last year, Armenia had postponed the
plant's closure until 2020.
The European Union has repeatedly called for the plant to be closed
down, arguing that it poses a threat to the region.
Armenian authorities say that the plant has undergone considerable
renovations over the past decade and has been passed fit by the
International Atomic Energy Agency.
Built in the 1970s, the Metsamor plant is located in one of the most
earthquake-prone regions on the planet, some 30 kilometres (19 miles)
west of Yerevan. The facility - which provides the tiny Caucasus
nation with around 40 percent of its power - was closed for around
seven years following a devastating earthquake in 1988.
Movsisyan said that a new facility would be built over the next decade
to eventually replace the Metsamor plant.
14 September 2013