Armenian NPP to shut down for five months in 2026

The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) plans a five‑month shutdown in 2026 as part of the second stage of work to extend its operational life until 2036.

According to Eduard Martirosyan, General Director of CJSC “Armenian NPP,” the first stage of the program (2016–2026) is nearing completion. The next stage involves replacing the plant’s cooling systems. To implement the project, a framework agreement has been signed with the Russian state corporation Rosatom.

Preliminary estimates suggested that installing the new system would take about 160 days, but under an agreement with Russian partners the timeframe has been reduced to 140 days. As a result, the plant will be shut down for 153 days, with several additional days required for disconnection and restart.