nuclear-news

Commission clear on Armenian nuclear plant closure

…According to the authors, the design of the Metzamor plant is much the same as those which the European Union insisted be shut down before Bulgaria and Slovakia joined the EU…  2011

http://www.powerengineeringint.com/articles/2013/12/commission-clear-on-armenian-nuclear-plant-closure.html

By Diarmaid Williams

The European Commission is happy to assist safety upgrades at Armenia’s Metzamor nuclear power plant but with the proviso that the facility is closed down as soon as possible.

That was the message from Nicole Bockstaller, Press Officer for Energy Policy at the EU Energy Commission this week, responding to a query from Power Engineering International.

“The Metzamor nuclear power plant (NPP) belongs to the so called ‘First Generation’ Soviet designed nuclear reactors which cannot be economically upgraded to current internationally recognized nuclear safety standards and should therefore be closed as soon as possible.”

Ms Bockstaller added, “However, as Armenia has no replacement electricity generation capacity which would allow the immediate closure of the plant, the EU and other international donors have agreed to help Armenia to improve the safety of the plant while it remains in operation.”

Azerbaijani Diaspora in US: “Armenian Metzamor Nuclear Power Plant is a source of threat”

24 March 2011

http://www.today.az/news/vdiaspora/83106.html

The Azerbaijani Diaspora in the US raised concern over Armenian Metzamor Nuclear Power Plant. The Diaspora has started a new campaign by sending the letters to the US Congress members in order to dismantle the plant.

“The recent earthquake in Japan has shown vividly the inherent dangers of nuclear power plants in seismically-active areas. If Japan was caught off-guard, then what is to say of reckless third world nations? The Metzamor Nuclear Power Plant was built during the 1970s, about 20 miles west of the Armenian capital of Yerevan in the city of Metzamor. The plant was constructed with two VVER-440 Model V230 nuclear reactors”, reminds the Diaspora.

“The guaranteed resource potential of the working Armenian nuclear power plant will be exhausted by 2016”.

According to the authors, the design of the Metzamor plant is much the same as those which the European Union insisted be shut down before Bulgaria and Slovakia joined the EU.

“Metzamor is located in the area which has 11-magnitude earthquake risk. It was built to withstand only 9-magnitude earthquake. After the devastating earthquake in Armenia in 1988, the authorities decided to close it, which is a proof that even the Armenian powers of that period realized the threat of Metzamor nuke plant in case of force majeure and natural cataclysms”, they noted.

“Although the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe documents expressed concerns more than once, that this nuke station situated in the seismically active zone is a source of serious danger for all of the Caucasus region unfortunately, the plant is still operational”, the Diaspora reminds.

“The U.S. Congress and Government must make all foreign aid to Armenia conditional to the immediate closing of the Metzamor nuke plant this year”, suggest the Diaspora.

December 10, 2013 - Posted by arclight2011part2 | Uncategorized