Armenia Hosts First Working Meeting on Armenian NPP Lifetime Extension
The first working meeting on lifetime extension of the Armenian NPP Unit 2 was held in Armenia. Working group comprised industry-specific companies and organizations from Armenia and Russia.
The meeting was attended by representatives of HAEK CJSC, Nuclear Safety Regulatory Committee under the Government of the Republic of Armenia and Research Institute Armatom, CJSC, of the Armenian side, and representatives of Rusatom Service JSC, Rosenergoatom Concern JSC, Experimental and Design Organization GIDROPRESS JSC, Atomenergoproekt JSC and NRC Kurchatov Institute, of the Russian side.
The participants discussed Armenian NPP draft concept for lifetime extension (LE) of Power Unit 2. The measures and approaches proposed under Armenian NPP LE concept were analyzed, as well as the approaches that were used during lifetime extension of VVER-440 NPP Power Units in Russia, in particular, Power Units 1, 2 of Kola NPP and Power Unit 4 of Novovoronezh NPP.
“We and Russian nuclear experts seek to maximize safety, reliability and efficiency of Armenian NPP operation. According to preliminary calculations, NPP can be operated up until 2026,” Eduard Martirosyan, director general of the Armenian NPP, said.
Rusatom Service JSC coordinates activities of the working group. According to Evgeny Salkov, director general of Rusatom Service, JSC, Rosatom companies are highly experienced in extending lifetime of nuclear power plants, and this experience will be used in developing the concept for Armenian NPP lifetime extension. “In 2019, Kola NPP successfully completed a large-scale upgrade of its Power Units, which made it possible to significantly increase their safety level and extend their lifetime until 2033 and 2034. Now, Kola NPP is a reliable power supplier to more than half of the consumers in Murmansk Oblast and Karelia,” Evgeny Salkov emphasized.
Following the meeting, participants of the working group mapped out further steps to refine the extension and safety concepts for NPP in Armenia, made a list of works to improve safety of ANPP Unit 2 and ensure safe management of RW and spent nuclear fuel during lifetime extension of the Armenian NPP. The next meeting of the joint working group on the harmonization of the lifetime extension concept for Armenian NPP Power Unit 2 is scheduled for the end of 2021.
Reference:
Rosatom is a global technology leader and number one company of the international nuclear power industry, operating in over fifty countries. Being a pioneer of the nuclear industry, Rosatom has traditionally held leading positions in the international nuclear market, including construction of nuclear power plants, uranium mining and enrichment, nuclear fuel fabrication and supply. Today, a unique 75-year-old expertise allows the company to win markets with new and promising innovative products. Hydrogen energy, energy storage systems, nuclear medicine, wind energy, composites, logistics business, ecological solutions, a total of over hundred new businesses, place Rosatom on a par with the Big Tech.
SDG
In its activities, Rosatom is focused on the international agenda for sustainable development. Being a low-carbon power generation company, Rosatom makes a significant contribution to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals by developing nuclear, hydrogen and wind power. Every year, Russian nuclear power plants save over 210 million tons of greenhouse gases, which are the main cause of climate change. The company issued “green” exchange-traded bonds for the first time in 2021. Rosatom has been a member of the UN Global Compact Network since 2020.
The Armenian NPP is the only nuclear power plant in the South Caucasus which produces over a third of all electricity in Armenia. The key workstream of Russia and Armenia in nuclear power is upgrade and lifetime extension of Armenian NPP Power Unit 2. Armenia has accumulated a unique experience in operating NPP. Power Unit 2 was restarted after being in preservation for 6.5 years. The NPP plays an important role in the development of the Armenian electrical grid and the entire social and economic life of the Republic. The general contractor of the lifetime extension project of the Armenian NPP is Rusatom Service JSC, the main tasks of which are to restore and extend the lifetime of the plant, as well as improve its safety and efficiency.
55th anniversary of the Armenian nuclear industry
Armenia celebrates 55th anniversary of nuclear industry in 2021. September 17, 1966, became the starting point in the history of the Armenian nuclear industry as the Government of the Armenian SSR, together with the USSR Council of Ministers, initiated building of the first nuclear power plant in Armenia. The entire regulatory framework was created from scratch. Armenian NPP design was a unique process solution of the Soviet nuclear experts. It was the first nuclear power plant for high-seismic areas. Following its example, plants are now being designed in earthquake-prone regions all around the world. Power Unit 1 of Armenian NPP was put into operation on December 25, 1976, and Power Unit 2 started work on January 5, 1980. Today, ANPP generates over a third of the country's power and ensures its energy security and independence.
Armenian nuclear industry was built by the country's scientific centers and industry-specific enterprises: Energy Research Institute, the State Nuclear Safety Regulatory Committee under the Government of Armenia, the Armenian Research Institute of Nuclear Power Plant Operation, the National Polytechnic University of Armenia, etc.
The nuclear industry goes beyond the energy sector and allows for the application of technologies in medicine, space and agriculture. For example, nuclear medicine is actively developing in Armenia, i.e. isotope production has begun in the last few years and the first positron emission tomography was performed in the country. Such work is being carried out by Alikhanyan National Research Laboratory (YerPhi), Fanarjian National Center of Oncology, Center for Radioactive Isotopes and Yerevan Center for Nuclear Medicine.
