ANPP operating life to be extended to 2036, extension to 2046 economically unfeasible: Likhachev

The operating life of the existing Armenian Nuclear Power Plant will be extended to 2036, but extending it to 2046 is economically unfeasible. This was stated by Alexey Likhachev, Director General of the Rosatom state corporation, at a press conference at Zvartnots Airport in Yerevan.

According to him, most of the production tasks required for the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant to operate until 2031 have already been completed 100%.

“The specialists have no doubt that the plant’s operating life will be successfully extended to 2036. In theory, the plant could be upgraded to operate until 2046 as well, but this would require hundreds of millions of dollars in capital investment (including a repeat annealing of the reactor vessel and expansion of the spent fuel pools). Such costs could lead to a twofold increase in the cost of electricity for consumers, so as an alternative it is proposed to focus on building a new plant,” he said.