ArmInfo. On the sidelines of the 70th anniversary session of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia David Khudatyan held a meeting in Vienna with IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.
As reported by the press service of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, the meeting was also attended by Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Narek Apitonyan, Director General of “Armenian Nuclear Power Plant” CJSC Eduard Martirosyan, and other members of the Armenian delegation. The interlocutors discussed projects being implemented and planned במסגרת of sectoral cooperation with the IAEA. In particular, they discussed the implementation of the program to extend the service life of Unit 2 of the Armenian NPP, as well as issues related to the selection of a model for a new nuclear power plant.
During the meeting, the minister reiterated the invitation for Rafael Grossi to visit Armenia to participate in events planned במסגרת COP17.
It should be noted that activities to further extend the operating life of Unit 2 are continuing at the Armenian NPP. $165 million has been allocated from the state budget for the project, saved during implementation of the first extension program. The project is intended to extend the operating life of Unit 2 of the Armenian NPP for another 10 years — until 2036. By that time, the country plans to build a new nuclear power unit. The main large-scale works were scheduled for 2026, when the unit was shut down for 5 months. Russian specialized organizations, including OKB “Gidropress” and the Kurchatov Institute National Research Center, as well as Rusatom Service, are participating in the modernization and safety assessment. The program includes more than 100 planned activities and large-scale works to modernize the plant’s safety systems and equipment.
Let us recall that Armenia has been a member of the IAEA since 1993. The Agency exercises control over the only operating nuclear facility in the republic. Cooperation with the IAEA in the peaceful use of nuclear energy is developing effectively not only in the field of nuclear power, but also in nuclear medicine and other sectors of the country’s economy.
