According to the latest data for 2022, Armenia is forced to import 73% of its energy resources, which means that its level of energy independence is only 27%, said Abgar Budaghyan, the head of the USAID Energy Security Program in Armenia.
Budaghyan emphasized that Armenia intends to achieve energy self-sufficiency by 2040-2050. This is planned to be achieved through the construction of a new nuclear power station with a capacity of 600 MW and increasing the total capacity of solar and wind power plants to 2000 MW, which is one of the government's goals.
The expert also noted that the current capacity of solar energy in the country is 480 MW, which, according to him, represents a "real achievement for Armenia.
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.
