Work on the new nuclear power unit commences
According to the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, a closed joint-stock company (CJSC) titled “Construction of a New Nuclear Power Unit” will be established to manage the project for constructing a new nuclear power unit in Armenia.
As a result of these efforts, a professional expert opinion will be submitted to the Government of the Republic of Armenia regarding the selection of technology for the new power unit.
The Government’s decision to establish the CJSC was adopted back in 2024, and the process is now entering its practical phase. The former Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the RA, Gnel Sanosyan, had informed that the company would be established based on the guidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), would operate under the ministry’s jurisdiction, and would be funded by the state budget.
Approximately 12 years remain until the end of the extended operation period of the current power unit at the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant. The nuclear plant has been in operation since 1979 and had temporarily ceased operations following the Spitak earthquake.
Since the implementation of projects of such scale can take 8-10 years, it is planned that the new nuclear power unit will be commissioned immediately after the decommissioning of the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant.