Russia, Armenia agree to extend nuclear plant service life to 2026
MOSCOW. Dec 23 (Interfax) - Russia and Armenia have signed an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation concerning the extension of the service life of the No. 2 reactor at the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant, Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom said.
The Armenian NPP's license was issued for a period of 30 years, to September 1, 2016. The agreement will see the plant get a license for a ten-year extension to 2026.
Under the document, a comprehensive study of the generating unit will be conducted by the end of the first quarter of 2015, after which a program will be drafted to extend the service life. This program will be carried out in 2015-2016. The license is expected to be received in September 2016, after which the final phase of work will be carried out by 2019.
The countries agreed that the work will be financed with a loan that Russia will extend to Armenia. The parameters and terms of the loan are being negotiated by the two countries' finance ministries.
Armenian Deputy Energy and Natural Resources Minister Ara Simonian said in November that Yerevan planned to sign an agreement with Russia by the end of 2014 on a loan of $270 million to extend the service life of the Armenian NPP to 2026.
