Azerbaijan need not worry about the condition of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant more than Armenia itself: Director General

Eduard Martirosyan, Director General of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP) CJSC, told journalists that repair work is also planned at the ANPP in 2027 – a 55-day shutdown of the plant.

“We have completed construction of a new substation with an open switchgear,” the Director General said, also reporting on other work being carried out in cooperation with Russia.

He noted that the launch of data centers in Armenia in the coming years will change the volume of electricity consumption. “As of today, nearly 1,200 megawatts of solar power plants have been launched, which also affect the power system. At the same time, the nuclear power plant remains the backbone infrastructure,” Martirosyan said.

He reported that separate work is already underway to extend the ANPP’s operating life to 2041. Martirosyan noted that the plant’s power unit generates 30-40% of Armenia’s total electricity.

The Director General also commented on remarks by Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan, about the risk of an energy crisis in Armenia following the closure of the nuclear plant. Aliyev stated that Baku is ready to provide Armenia with “an additional source of electricity to avoid such a scenario.”

Martirosyan emphasized that Azerbaijan need not worry about the condition of the ANPP more than Armenia itself. “The government of Armenia and I, as its director, are primarily responsible for the condition of the plant. Let someone show me another plant where 20 major modernization measures were carried out in 153 days,” he said.

Martirosyan said he had recently visited a nuclear power plant in a European country, where completing this volume of work would have taken about 6 years.