The third meeting of the Coordinating Committee for Coordination & Control for implementation of the project to further extend the operating life of unit 2 at the Armenian NPP (ANPP) has been held in Moscow. The unit was reconnected to the grid in July following extensive upgrades carried out by Rosatom to extend the service life of the unit, which currently ends in 2026.
ANPP was built in the 1970s with two Soviet-supplied VVER-440-V230 units but was closed following a devastating earthquake in 1988. However, unit 2 was recommissioned with Russian help in 1995 following severe energy shortages. Unit 2 now accounts for some 39% of Armenia’s total electricity generation. Unit 1 is being decommissioned.
In March 2014, the Armenian government decided to extend the plant’s service life to 2026. That work was also undertaken by Rosatom. In 2021, Rosatom Service and Rosatom institutes annealed the reactor vessel, restoring the metal properties of the casing by 85% enabling its further operation. The Armenian government has adopted a resolution to start the process to extend operation until 2036 and in December 2023, Rosatom Service and ANPP signed an agreement for further co-operation.
The Russian delegation to the Moscow meeting was headed by Nikolay Spassky, Deputy Director General and Director of Rosatom’s International Activities Unit, and the Armenian delegation by Armen Simonyan, Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration & Infrastructures. The event was also attended by Alexey Ferapontov, Deputy Head of Russian regulator Rostechnadzor; Evgeny Salkov, General Director of Rosatom Service; Khachatur Khachikyan Chairman of the Armenian Committee on Nuclear Safety Regulation; and ANPP Director General Eduard Martirosyan.
The meeting discussed the results of the work recently carried out by Russian and Armenian specialists, and also planned further steps to improve the safety of the plant. Participants noted that, according to the framework contract, joint efforts are being made to ensure the implementation of ongoing modernisation and life extension work stays on schedule. They discussed the action plan for the current project for 2026, as well as promising areas and tasks for joint cooperation. Following the meeting, a protocol was signed.
