Armenia expands Western involvement at Metsamor NPP, cuts Rosatom out

Armenian authorities have acknowledged working with Western contractors on the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant, bypassing specialists from Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, which is involved in extending the plant’s operational life, according to TASS, citing the plant’s press service.

The report states that the EU supports Armenia’s nuclear safety efforts by introducing additional measures, including stress tests.

“Alternative water supply equipment financed by the EU and supplied by the Slovak company VÚEZ to the Armenian nuclear power plant has successfully passed factory and acceptance tests, confirming full compliance with technical requirements. The European Union continues to support Armenia in strengthening nuclear safety through the implementation of measures defined following the assessment of stress tests by an EU expert mission. This support includes the provision of EU technical expertise as well as modern equipment to ensure safety in severe accidents,” the report said.

It also noted that the acceptance tests at the site were attended by a commission consisting of plant staff, an EU consultant, and a representative of the European Commission.

According to TASS, the operation of the Metsamor plant is being extended through cooperation between the Armenian government and Russian company Rusatom Service. The relevant decision was taken in December 2023 following a meeting of the Armenian-Russian intergovernmental commission. Armenia has allocated $65 million to extend the service life of the second power unit until 2036.

By Jeyhun Aghazada