At the Atomexpo-2024 forum in Sochi on March 26, Kirill Komarov, the First Deputy Director General and Director for Development and International Business of Rosatom, stated that Rosatom is prepared to offer Armenia nuclear reactors ranging from 50 to 1000 MW in capacity.
Komarov noted, "The decision on which block to build in Armenia is, of course, up to the Armenian government. I can say that there are different forecasts regarding the required capacity of the block," as reported by the Arka news agency.
He also added that it is possible to build blocks with capacities ranging from 50 to 1000 MW, including thousand-megawatt blocks, which may be of interest to Armenia, especially if there is an opportunity to export electricity to neighboring countries such as Georgia.
Komarov emphasized that Rosatom has various products that can meet the demands of the Armenian government.
"We are planning to start construction of a 600 MW reactor in the near future. From 50 MW blocks, it is possible to create a nuclear power plant with capacities of 200 MW and 400 MW," said the Rosatom Deputy Director General.
Nevertheless, he noted that a low-capacity station will always be more expensive than a high-capacity one. Therefore, it is important to find a solution that maximally satisfies the needs of Armenia's energy system and ensures accessible and stable electricity.
Earlier, BMG reported, Armenia has decided to extend the operation period of its nuclear power plant until 2036.
The Armenian NPP is the only nuclear power plant in the region, built during the Soviet era on the territory of Armenia near the city of Metsamor. It consists of two power units with VVER-440 reactors. The installed thermal capacity of one unit is 1375 MW, the electric capacity is 440 MW.
The operation and maintenance of the NPP are handled by the company "Rosatom." The nuclear fuel for the NPP is uranium, also imported from Russia. In Armenia, there is currently a discussion about the option of building a new NPP not based on Russian, but on Western modular technologies. It is not yet known which option the Government of Armenia will choose.
