On Wednesday, September 11, a meeting took place in Yerevan between Armenia's Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, Gnel Sanosyan, and the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Armenia, Sergey Kopyrkin.
The central topic of the discussion was the potential further extension of the operational life of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP).
According to the press service of Armenia’s Ministry of Territorial Administration, in addition to the ANPP, other issues were also on the agenda. The parties discussed cooperation in the energy sector, the development of transport infrastructure, and strengthening interregional cooperation.
Earlier BMG reported that the Armenian NPP supplies about one-third of the country's total energy needs. Its operational life was extended until 2036 after modernization, but it will need to be decommissioned and replaced afterward.
Currently, the operation of the Metsamor NPP relies on the Russian "Rosatom" for both fuel supplies and technological upgrades. However, in early August, the Armenian government established a state-owned company to build a new nuclear power unit to replace the existing plant.
It is expected that within the next two years, this company will present a plan for constructing the new NPP, including the selection of a technology supplier and the plant's capacity. Armenian officials have previously stated their intention to explore cooperation options with China, Russia, South Korea, and the United States.
