Russian company to bid in Armenia nuclear power station tender
By M. Alkhazashvili
(Translated by Diana Dundua)
(Translated by Diana Dundua)
Friday, February 22
Russia will participate in an upcoming tender for the construction of a new nuclear power station in Armenia, Sergey Kiriyenko, director general of Russia’s nuclear regulator Rosatom, announced earlier this month.
Last year the Armenian government announced a tender would be held to build a new 1000 megawatt reactor to replace the Metsamor nuclear plant which currently supplies the country with around 40 percent of its electricity supply.
Armenia is under pressure from the EU to shut down Metsamor due to safety concerns over its lack of a containment system to deal with potential radioactive leaks.
While the EU has offered EUR 100 million to assist in Metsamor’s closure, Armenian officials say that far more than this, around USD 300 million, is needed for its. The government also says that around USD 1 billion will be needed to construct a new reactor.
Metsamor has been operated by Russian company Unified Energy Systems since 2003, as part of a five-year arrangement to help Armenia pay off its USD 40 million debt to Russia for providing uranium.
Last year the Armenian government announced a tender would be held to build a new 1000 megawatt reactor to replace the Metsamor nuclear plant which currently supplies the country with around 40 percent of its electricity supply.
Armenia is under pressure from the EU to shut down Metsamor due to safety concerns over its lack of a containment system to deal with potential radioactive leaks.
While the EU has offered EUR 100 million to assist in Metsamor’s closure, Armenian officials say that far more than this, around USD 300 million, is needed for its. The government also says that around USD 1 billion will be needed to construct a new reactor.
Metsamor has been operated by Russian company Unified Energy Systems since 2003, as part of a five-year arrangement to help Armenia pay off its USD 40 million debt to Russia for providing uranium.