NEW NUCLEAR ENERGY BLOCK TO CORRESPOND TO ALL THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
ARMENPRESS
AUGUST 24, 2010
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, AUGUST 24, ARMENPRESS: Public hearings on building of a new
nuclear energy block near the city of Metsamor were held today at the
square of the Armenian nuclear power station. The public hearings
were organized by RA Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources,
‘MetsamorEnergoAtom’ CJSC in association with Armavir Governor’s
Office. The productive power of the second energy block of the Armenian
nuclear power station will be replaced with this new nuclear energy
block.
The second energy block is currently securing more than 40% of the
demand for energy in the Republic. ‘In contrast to the current energy
block, this new block of the next generation is more reliable and is
expected to operate for 60 years,’ RA Energy and Natural Resources
deputy Minister Areg Galstyan said. He mentioned that the best
technique will be used in the construction works. He added that
the influence of the forthcoming block on the environment will be
reduced and that all the systems will correspond to the international
standards. ‘We do not have any alternative variant from the point of
the security and energy security of Armenia,’ Areg Galstyan said. The
forthcoming energy block will be equipped with the Russian NPS-92
water energy reactor with 1060-megawatt gross power.
The reactor, supplied with passive security systems, is designed in
correspondence with of the codes and standards of the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and with the nuclear requirements for
Russia and European Union. The construction of the new nuclear energy
block is expected to start 2011. It will occupy 17 ha of territory
of energy significance. The territory is wholly involved in the area
of the square of the Armenian nuclear power station and belongs to
RA Government. The number of people to be employed makes 900. It is
expected that most of workers will be Metsamor-based.
From: A. Papazian