Armenia plans to build SNF reprocessing complex - NPP director

YEREVAN, June 5. /ARKA/. Armenia is preparing to build its own facility for reprocessing low- and medium-level spent nuclear fuel, General Director of the Armenian NPP Movses Vardanyan said today.

"As you know, there were two units at the Metsamor NPP site, of which we operate only the second unit. A location was designated for storage of low-, medium- and high-level solid waste," Vardanyan said, speaking at a discussion on nuclear power as a means to ensure the country’s energy security and independence.

He said Armenia has been building a storage facility for SNF, but it is not a final disposal, but a temporary one, designed for the next 50 years.

"Now we are preparing to build a facility for processing low- and intermediate-level waste. As for processing high-level waste there is no such solution yet. All countries have their final disposal locations; we are also thinking about having our own one," the ANPP director added.

According to him, there are specialized design and construction institutions in Armenia, which are able to deal with this issue.

"Later we will be able to choose the strategy of SNF burial, coordinate it with the Nuclear Safety Regulatory Committee and build the facility," Vardanyan said, noting that the construction of such a facility is very expensive, but did not specify how much it would cost.

The Armenian NPP, the only one in the South Caucasus region, is located near the town of Metsamor, about 30 km west of Yerevan. The plant accounts for about 40% of the total electricity generation. Its service life has been prolonged until 2026, and work on repeated prolongation for another 10 years is in progress.

Armenian government wants to have a new nuclear power plant with a capacity of 1000-1,200 MW to be built in 8-10 years. In 2022, the Armenian government and Rusatom Overseas (a unit of Russian state atomic corporation) signed a MOU to look into construction of a new nuclear power unit in Armenia --0—