EcoLur
“We believe that the nuclear plant must shut down as soon as possible, as no renovation can make it fully comply with international security requirements,” said Dirk Lorenz, Deputy Head of Division, Eastern Partnership Bilateral, EEAS, at the fifth EU-Armenia subcommittee meeting on energy, transport, environment, climate action and civil protection on Tuesday, January 30.
“At the same time, we are well aware that energy security is important for Armenia. The European Union is currently working with the country to improve the NPP safety. "Now it is important that everything is done to improve the safety of the Armenian nuclear power plant, by using the results of a string of stress tests," the EU official said. It should be mentioned that the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement signed by Armenia and the EU has a special clause on the Armenian nuclear power plant, which says, ' The interaction between the parties should include the closure and safe cessation of the Metsamor nuclear power plant in Armenia and the early adoption of a roadmap or an action plan for the replacement of nuclear power plant with an alternative to ensure Armenia’s energy security and its sustainable development.'
In this regard, Deputy Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources Hayk Harutyunyan told at the press conference in response to journalists' questions. “I think none of us had the illusion that the active unit should’ve worked forever. We’ve made significant investments, and continue doing, on safety standards. The main part of the 300 million dollar worth program of extending the operation period of Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant’s second power unit are actions for increasing the level of safety. The extension is planned for 10 years, after which the decommissioning is planned.” he said.
The operational lifetime of ANPP second power unit was expired in 2016, Nevertheless, the Republic of Armenia reached a decision to extend the lifetime of the power unit taking into consideration the serious lack of basic capacities as a result of the ANPP closedown.
January 30, 2018 at 19:30