The paper of NEWS.am has announced the appointment of Kiril Komarov, the CEO of Rosatom’s State Atomic Energy Corporation, as the head of the Armenian Atomic Energy Power Plant and the international block of the nuclear power plant. The agreement signed with the Russian side extends the operation of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant until 2036. When will the work to extend the deadline for the operation and whether the deadlines for completing the work will be met?

Nuclear energy in Armenia is one of the main sources of electricity production and plays a significant role in national energy security. The operation of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant accounts for about 30% of the country’s overall electricity production. In 2021, Rosatom successfully completed the upgrade of the actual operation of the plant, extending its operational life until 2026. As a result of the upgrade, the power capacity of the plant has increased by more than 10%.

On December 15, 2023, “Rosatom Service” and the Armenian NPP signed an agreement on the second phase of the construction of the nuclear power plant, which extends the operational life until 2036. The work has already begun and will take 5 years to complete. On June 13, in Yerevan, the first meeting of the joint commission responsible for extending the operational life of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant was held, co-chaired by the Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the RA Hakob Vardanyan and your representative. We discussed the necessary work for the conclusion of the agreements.

Nuclear energy in Armenia is based on two energy blocks with VVER-440 reactors, one of the most successful branches of nuclear energy. Currently, this type of reactor provides about 30% of the country’s total electricity generation. In 2021, Rosatom successfully completed the life extension of one block of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant, extending the operational life until 2026. As a result of the upgrade, the power capacity has increased by more than 10%.

The construction of the energy block in the framework of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant extension includes the replacement and modernization of all major systems and equipment, the installation of new generators and turbines, and the upgrading of safety systems. In October 2021, Rosatom announced the successful completion of the life extension of the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant with VVER-1200 reactors, which is the first operational project based on the new RITM-200 reactor technology. It has already generated more than 700 million kilowatt-hours of electricity for the city of Pevek, the largest city in the region. Based on this experience, work is underway to create a new series of modern and efficient worksites.

Armenia has also been offered new energy technologies, which are currently available worldwide. This is the VVER-1200, the most advanced and safest reactor. Energy blocks of the same type are being built in the Belaya Vezha Belarusian project, the Rooppur AES project in Bangladesh, the Paks-2 project in Hungary, and the El-Dabaa AES project in Egypt and Russia. We believe that with the help of this new technology, the energy system of Armenia will be improved. The VVER-1200, which ensures the highest level of safety and efficiency, will also be built in Armenia. It is worth mentioning that we have a long tradition of nuclear power plant construction, which is reflected in the successful operation of the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant.