Russia Offers Armenia Competitive Terms for Construction of New Nuclear Power Plant – Shoigu

YEREVAN, February 13. /ARКА/. Armenia's top leadership is aware of Russia's proposals on nuclear energy. Russia is counting on sober calculations and the interests of the people, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu told RIA Novosti.

"Without revealing details, I will say that the terms are very, very favorable, and the technologies are cutting-edge, with their reliability proven by many years of operation. Not to mention that Rosatom ranks first in the number of nuclear power plant construction projects abroad – 90% of the global market – and has unique experience in the design, construction, and operation of small modular reactors," Shoigu said.

He expressed hope that when their Armenian partners make the relevant decisions, sober calculations and the interests of the people will prevail, rather than thinking along the lines of "I'll freeze my ears to spite my mother."

On the cost of the future nuclear power plant

According to Shoigu, the Americans (US Vice President J.D. Vance) announced during a visit to Armenia that they would spend $5 billion on the construction of the nuclear power plant and another $4 billion on maintenance, but "nowhere did they indicate even an approximate price per megawatt-hour of generated energy."

He emphasized that this requires special attention. "If we're talking about NuScale Power's 77-megawatt modules, it was the high cost of energy that led to the failure of its Utah project. Even during the preparatory phase, the cost increased by 1.5 times, and the price of the planned energy production rose from $58 to $89 per megawatt-hour, which led to its closure in 2023," the head of the Russian Security Council said.

Shoigu also said that Russia will be forced to consider new nuclear safety risks if the construction of small reactors using American technology in Armenia moves into the practical phase.

He noted that Armenia is a seismically active region and mentioned that the unique foundation technology used by Soviet engineers during the construction of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant allowed it to successfully survive the devastating 1988 earthquake.

"If the construction of small reactors using American technology in Armenia moves into the practical phase, we, like all other states in the region, and the people of Armenia itself, will be forced to consider these new nuclear safety risks," Shoigu said.

According to him, Russia will essentially have to assume that "American experiments in nuclear technology will be conducted nearby, in a seismically hazardous zone."

"Therefore, yes, this should be considered a threat. I wouldn't like to draw parallels, but let me remind you that it was the American reactors at Japan's Fukushima-1 Nuclear Power Plant that were destroyed by the earthquake, leading to large-scale radioactive contamination of the environment," the Russian Security Council Secretary noted.

On Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Technologies

Shoigu also touched on the issue of reprocessing spent nuclear fuel (SNF) for small reactors in Armenia.

"The United States does not have the technology to reprocess spent nuclear fuel. If small reactors for nuclear power plants are built in Armenia, the spent fuel will definitely be stored in Armenia," he stated.

On Yerevan's position

Earlier, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that when selecting a partner country for the construction of a new nuclear power plant, the Armenian authorities will consider whether the proposal aligns with the country's national interests.

According to David Khudatyan, head of the Armenian Ministry of Management and Infrastructure, the Armenian authorities have decided that the new nuclear power plant will be modular, but the final choice will be made in 2026–2027. Negotiations and the review of proposals from Russia, the United States, China, South Korea, and France are ongoing.

On Rosatom's proposal

At a recent meeting with RA National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan on February 6 in Moscow, Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev proposed comprehensive cooperation with Armenia in the field of nuclear energy.

This cooperation could include the construction of large, medium, and small-capacity nuclear power plants, as well as non-nuclear projects, Rosatom clarified.

About the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant

The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP) is the only nuclear power plant in the South Caucasus region. It is located near the town of Metsamor, approximately 30 km west of Yerevan. The plant is one of the country's key sources of electricity, providing up to 40% of its total output.

The operating life of the existing power unit has been extended until 2026, and work is underway to extend it for another 10 years.

Armenian authorities plan to build a new NPP within 8-10 years. Various options and the experience of partners from the United States, France, China, Russia, and South Korea are currently being studied.-0-