The Armenian nuclear power plant provides almost a third of the country's electricity needs. This is the only nuclear power plant in the South Caucasus region. It is currently being operated, but its future is in question.
Description
The Armenian NPP is located near the city of Metsamor, which is located 30 km south of the capital of the state. The station has two units equipped with VVER-440 reactors manufactured in the Russian Federation. These first-generation plants produce 440 MW (electrical) and 1375 MW (thermal).
In 2012, Armenia produced more than 8 billion kWh of electricity. About 29% of them came from the nuclear power plant. The location of the object is the main drawback, about which numerous discussions still do not cease. In the event of an emergency, the reactor core must be cooled with plenty of water. And it may simply not be enough, because the nuclear power plant is located high in the mountains.
History
The construction of this very engineering-complex structure, which has a large number of complicated equipment, required close attention to the work of all subcontractors involved in the installation of mechanisms. The volume of work performed is staggering, over 6 million m 3 of soil were extracted from the pit alone.
In 1976, the Armenian NPP was put into operation. The start of the first block has occurred. The nearest city to the station is Metsamor, the name of which is sometimes attributed to nuclear power plants. The locality is completely dependent on the operation of a nuclear power plant.
Together with the construction of the station, the construction of the infrastructure of Metsamor was going on. For a huge staff, the necessary conditions were created for life in the city. A school, kindergarten, medical facility, cultural facilities were built.
After the launch of the station, measures were taken to improve its work. Some components were replaced to increase the reliability and safety of nuclear power plants.
The project was created in 1969. Supervised the construction work. Kurchatov. In 1980, Unit 2 was launched. There were plans to create 3 and 4 units. However, the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant forced to freeze all projects.
Earthquake
In December 1988, a severe earthquake struck the country. In the area of the nuclear power plant, the shock force was 6.25 points. The power facility did not receive any damage, which was confirmed by the results of the work of a specially created commission that examined the buildings, structures and equipment of the station. However, seismic activity in the country forced the government of the Armenian SSR to decide on the shutdown of both units of the nuclear power plant in February and March of next year.
In 1993, the energy situation in the state became tense. The governing body of the Republic of Armenia decided to begin restoration work at the nuclear power plant. After 2 years, Unit 2 was put into operation. Now it provides about 40% of the country's electricity needs.
Who owns the Armenian NPP
The station is the property of the government of the republic. It owns all 100% of the shares of nuclear power plants and, by law, cannot sell them. In 2003, securities were signed, according to which the financial activities of the enterprise passed under the control of Inter RAO UES. The agreement was to be valid until 2013.
However, at the end of 2011, a company from Russia terminated the contract without waiting for its expiration. At the beginning of next year, the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Armenia began to manage finances.
How long will the Armenian NPP work? The owner (represented by the government) said that the operation of the nuclear power plant will last until 2026.
Problems
Experts believe that the station can only work until 2016. Their main fears are associated with the high seismicity of the region, as well as morally and physically obsolete equipment. It has been serving for several decades without modernization and replacement. For these reasons, the EU’s desire to preserve nuclear power plants is so great that it is ready to allocate 200 billion euros for this.
The aggravation of the situation occurred after the disaster at the Japanese station Fukushima-1, where the integrity of the blocks was disrupted by an earthquake. A similar effect was simulated at the Armenian NPP and came to the conclusion that it would not have led to any damage.
The only decision made by the Republic of Armenia was to freeze plans to create a new nuclear power plant. However, only for a while.
The country needs a new nuclear power plant, the construction of which requires $ 5 billion. Without it, the state will lose its dependence on foreign electricity. For these reasons, the government extended the life of the plant for a decade.
Authorities are looking for investors who can finance this project. Armenia even abandoned the monopoly on energy blocks. A number of countries have expressed their interest in construction. There is hope that in the near future the financial issue will be resolved, and the state will receive a modern nuclear power plant.
