Armenian PM, Rosatom chief discuss possibility of building new nuclear power plant

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met Director-General of Russia's state atomic energy corporation Rosatom Alexei Likhachev in Yerevan.

Pashinyan appreciated the role of the corporation in extending the operation of the Armenian Metsamor nuclear power plant's second power unit, Caliber.Az reports referring to the Armenian media.

The officials discussed the future operation of Metsamor's second power unit, as well as the possibility of building a new nuclear power plant in Armenia, the development of nuclear energy and cooperation in the renewable energy field.

In March 2021, the Armenian nuclear power plant was upgraded by Rosatom to increase its efficiency and safety.

On 20 January 2022, Rosatom and the Metsamor nuclear power plant signed a memorandum of understanding on developing possible cooperation in the construction of new Russian nuclear power units in Armenia.

The building of a new nuclear power plant in Armenia would take 10-12 years, according to Metsamor Executive Director Eduard Martirosyan.

The service life of the Metsamor plant had been extended until 2026, and would be further extended for another 10 years. The plant, which was built in the 1970s and produces about 40% of Armenia's electricity, is to be decommissioned in 2036.