The repair works, which Rosatom has said will extend the lifespan of the nuclear plant to 2026, are controversial because both the European Union and the United States have called on the plant to be decommissioned as it is built in an earthquake-prone area.
Several years ago, the European Union offered Armenia $300m to close down the plant, an offer that the Armenian government, possibly under pressure from Russia, declined.
After meeting Armenian PM Karen Karapetyan, Rosatom director- general said: “Armenia’s nuclear facilities will in fact be thoroughly upgraded. Our common goal today is to move clearly on the agreed schedule, observing the unequivocal priority of quality work and safety requirements.”
For Armenia, the Soviet-built nuclear plant is a vital part of its power generation system, producing around 40% of the country’s electricity.
The deal for the maintenance work to extend the lifespan of Metsamor was agreed in 2014, with Russian finance for the project and Rosatom’s role finalised the following year. Russia agreed to lend Armenia $230m to fund the modernisation scheme and also added a $30m grant.
Rosatom has said that the main focus of their work is the modernisation of the plant’s cooling towers, its turbine unit and control and safety systems.
The original plan for the maintenance work was to schedule it for 2017, closing the plant for six months.
ENDS
Copyright ©Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 333, published on June 19 2017)
