ArmInfo.. Claims that the United States intends to test its small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear technology in Armenia should be dismissed, as stated by Mesrop Mesropyan, Chairman of the Public Services Regulatory Commission of the Republic of Armenia, in an interview with journalists on February 16.
According to him, American SMRs have advantages that could be very appealing to Armenia. Specifically, he mentioned that in case of an emergency, there would be no need for human intervention in the reactor cooling process. Additionally, highlighted that 80-90% of the SMR equipment is manufactured at the manufacturer's plant and then delivered and installed on-site in the customer country. He emphasized that there has been a lot of talk about constructing a modular nuclear power plant lately, but he pointed out that 51 modular reactors are currently under construction in at least 15 countries. "From a safety standpoint, these plants are of a higher class than what we have today. Modular plants are more flexible and their operation is more efficient," the PSRC head assured.
Additionally, he noted that Armenia still has time to make a final decision, as efforts are being made at the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant to extend the service life of its second power unit until 2036. This year, the plant will undergo a five month shutdown for necessary maintenance. Moreover, there will be no electricity shortage in the country, as the potential of other generation facilities will be utilized.
Mesrop Mesropyan did not rule out the possibility of extending the service life of the second power unit for another 10-15 years after 2036.
