YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Energy and Natural Resources Ministry is preparing a draft Government decision, whereby the operation of the second energy block of Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) will be extended for ten years, Energy and Natural Resources Deputy Minister Ara Simonyan said Tuesday at the National Assembly.    

In his words, the stress tests and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) studies enable to make such decision. “If we had the smallest doubt in connection with the reactor’s metal, we would not have raised this matter,” Simonyan noted.    

He recalled that the time limit for the operation of NPP’s second energy block is 2016, and, ever since the restart of the plant’s operations in 1995—and after a five year intermission—, approximately $110 million were spent to raise its safety level.    

The Government will discuss the aforesaid draft decision in August 2013. As per Simonyan, the US government has expressed a willingness to assist Armenia if such decision is made. 

Also, simultaneous activities need to be carried out toward building a new NPP, but the 2013 State Budget envisions no respective allocations. Ara Simonyan informed that they are attempting to organize these activities in such way that there would not be a need for budgetary funding. A conference for the representatives of donor countries will be convened in Armenia next year, and for this very purpose.