YEREVAN, July 9. /ARKA/. The Armenian government approved on Thursday the allocation of a budget loan of AMD 20.1 billion to the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant. According to the justification for the decision, the funds are intended to finance the work for the repeated extension of the operational period and modernization of the second block of the Armenian NPP.
Earlier, in 2020-2025, the Armenian NPP was granted a budget loan of AMD 63.2 billion as part of the first program for extending the operational period and modernization of the second block until 2026.
Subsequently, in September 2023, the government approved a program for the repeated extension of the operational period and modernization of the second block of the Armenian NPP until 2036. The implementation of the program is estimated to cost $160 million.
About the Armenian NPP
The Armenian NPP is the only nuclear power plant in the South Caucasus region. It is located near the town of Metsamor, approximately 30 km west of Yerevan. The plant is one of the key sources of electricity in the country, providing up to 40% of total generation.
The Armenian authorities plan to build a new nuclear power plant within 8-10 years. Currently, various options and experiences from partners in the USA, France, China, Russia, and South Korea are being studied.
The Armenian side is already considering a preliminary feasibility study for the construction of a new block with a capacity of 1200 MW developed by the state corporation "Rosatom." Earlier, Kirill Komarov, the first deputy general director of Rosatom, stated in response to a question from the ARKA agency that the corporation could offer Armenia nuclear reactors with a capacity ranging from 50 to 1000 MW. According to him, it is possible to "assemble" a reactor of any capacity from 50 MW blocks.
