By 2036, Armenia may face a power shortage of about 1 GW, taking into account the shutdown of its operating nuclear power plant, Alexey Likhachev, director general of Russian state corporation Rosatom, told reporters in Armenia.

He did not agree with the assertion that Armenia currently has a power surplus. According to Likhachev, having installed power and having affordable electricity are different concepts. At the same time, he drew attention to the growth rates of electricity consumption in the country.

“Last year, the growth was 7%. And even if we take as a basis the rather high indicator of 4% annual growth in consumption, then after the closure of the Metsamor nuclear power plant, at the time of commissioning of the new plant [in 2036], we will have a [power] deficit of about 1 gigawatt,” he said.

The head of Rosatom touched also upon the peculiarities of the Armenian energy system, which are conditioned by the high density of solar energy and sharp fluctuations in power consumption during the day.

Likhachev explained Rosatom’s proposal to build a new power unit with a capacity of at least 1 GW in Armenia precisely by the requirement to have a stable and reliable source of electricity in the country.

At the same time, he emphasized that the choice of the technological version and supplier of the future plant is solely up to the Armenian government. According to him, new intergovernmental agreements and a clear funding model will be necessary for the implementation of this project.