ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
October 6, 2004 Wednesday
Armenia NPP connected to republic’s power grid
By Tigran Liloyan
YEREVAN
The Armenian nuclear power plant is connected to the republic’s power
grid after 65 days of overhaul and full replacement of fuel. The
reactor of the nuclear power plant was put on the minimal control
level overnight to October 4 and the commissioning operations are
conducted on it.
The commissioned third turbine began operating with the capacity of
220 megawatt and generates five million kW per hour daily, director
general of the nuclear power plant Gagik Markosyan said. The fourth
turbine will be connected to the power grid in two weeks, the
director emphasized.
The operation at the nuclear power plant was suspended overnight to
July 31, and the current overhaul was the most large-scale for the
whole period of the plant operation. During the repairs spent nuclear
fuel was completely unloaded, the condition of the metallic hull of
the reactor was examined and fresh fuel was loaded. Specialists of
the all-Russian research institute for operations of nuclear power
plants and the Czech company Skoda made the overhaul. The managing
company Inter RAO UES acquired and brought to the plant 100 nuclear
fuel cases worth of 12 million dollars.
The Armenian nuclear power plant that was commissioned in 1979 was
stopped in 1989 after the devastating earthquake in December 1988.
The plant resumed its operation in 1996 involving Russian
specialists, and its second power unit also resumed its operation.