Armenian and Russian experts to look into extension of service life of Armenian nuclear power plant
The sixth meeting of a joint Armenian-Russian commission, set up to oversee a project designed to extend the service life of the Armenian nuclear power plant is scheduled for March 28 in Metsamor, a small town where the facility is, the Armenian ministry of energy infrastructures and natural resources said today.br / br /
YEREVAN, March 16. /ARKA/. The sixth meeting of a joint Armenian-Russian commission, set up to oversee a project designed to extend the service life of the Armenian nuclear power plant is scheduled for March 28 in Metsamor, a small town where the facility is, the Armenian ministry of energy infrastructures and natural resources said today.br
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It said the commission well look into a long string of measures to be implemented as part of the project. This issue was discussed also today at a meeting chaired by Armenian energy minister Ashot Manukyan. It was attended by government officials in charge of nuclear energy and top managers of the nuclear power plant.br
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The ministry said the meeting focused on such issues as improvement of the safety level of the power unit of the facility, the status of measures envisaged by the modernization program and the extension of the service life, possible risks as well large-scale supplies of necessary equipment and materials.br
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The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant is located some 30 kilometers west of Yerevan. It was built in the 1970s but was closed following a devastating earthquake in 1988. One of its two VVER 440-V230 light-water reactors was reactivated in 1995. Armenian authorities said they would build a new nuclear power plant to replace the aging facility.nbsp;br
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The new plant was said to operate at twice the capacity of the Soviet-constructed facility. nbsp;The plant currently generates some 35 percent of Armenia's electricity.nbsp;br
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In March 2014, Armenian government decided to extend the plant’s service life up to 2026 because of delay in building a new unit. The service life extension has become possible thanks to Russia’s financial resources. The country was to provide $270 million to Armenia as loan and $30 million in grants. --0--br
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