Armenia’s nuclear power plant in Metsamor will be brought to a halt today, October 16th, for partial refuelling and regular repairs, RIA Novosti reports. The plant will be operational in 55 days.
The Metsamor plant, located some 30 kilometers west of Yerevan, generated 2.081 billion KWh in the first nine months of the year, 5% more than in the same period last year.
The Armenian authorities declared their intention to construct a new nuclear power plant to replace the aging Metsamor plant, built in 1970s. The new plant is supposed to operate at twice the capacity of the Soviet-constructed facility. Metsamor currently generates some 40% of Armenia's electricity.
The Australian company Worley Parsons has been selected to manage the project. The Armenian government has yet to attract funding for the project, estimated at $5 billion.
