Armenia will continue constructing its new power block, taking the accident at the Japanese Fukushima-2 plant into account, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan told the parliament on Wednesday, News Armenia reports.
The new Armenian nuclear power plant will produce some 1000 MW. The project may cost approximately $5 billion. The country cancelled the state monopoly on owning new nuclear power blocks, in order to invite investments.
Sargsyan said that problematic power blocks withstood earthquakes. The problem with the Japanese power blocks were caused by the 10-meter-high tsunami waves that damaged the infrastructure of the Fukushima-1 power plant and its cooling systems.
The prime minister also informed the parliament that the energy minister of Armenia had been instructed to talk about the Armenian nuclear power plant with international experts.
He noted that Armenia expressed its condolences and readiness to provide support to Japan on the very day of the tragedy. Sargsyan added that the minister of emergencies was ordered to provide aid to Japan.
Armenia has skilled specialists, he said.
Japan was hit by an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 points on Richter scale. The Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant had malfunctions with its cooling system. Radiation leakage has been registered at a range of 20 km. Flights have been banned within 30 km.
