Suren Papikyan, the Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures of the RA and Sergey Kopyrkin, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Armenia visited the Armenian NPP (ANPP) on 10 December. They were accompanied by Movses Vardanyan, the Armenian NPP General Director and Vladimir Bredov, the Acting Deputy General Director of the «Rusatom Service» JSC which is the contractor for implementation of activities aimed at the ANPP life extension and modernization.

The Minister Papikyan and the Ambassador visited the ANPP Turbine Department, the Main Control Room, they became familiar with the progress of implementation of the plant life extension and modernization project.

The Ambassador of the RF to Armenia noted that Armenia and Russia were historically bound by special allied relationship. In the Soviet years by efforts of the Armenian and Russian specialists the Armenian NPP was constructed which was distinct in a special technology.

Subsequently Sergey Kopyrkin, the RF Amabassador and Vladimir Bredov, the Acting Deputy General Director of the «Rusatom Service» JSC jointly handed out awards to the Armenian NPP employees who had contributed greatly to the implementation of the plant life extension project.

A press briefing was organized for the journalists: Suren Papikyan, Sergey Kopyrkin, Hakob Vardanyan and Movses Vardanyan answered the questions. It was stated that in the framework of LTO program within the period of 2018-2019 all the systems and equipment included in the electricity generation scheme: turbine, generator, transformer, etc., were modernized.

The activities related to safety will be performed within the period of 2020-2021 due to non-identification of financial sources. The issue of extending the validity period of the interstate contract concluded between the RF and the RA is at the stage of discussion.

As mentioned by Gera Sevikyan, the Adviser to the “HAEK” CJSC General Director, out of the set of safety improvement activities, modernization of the reactor control and protection system electrical equipment was implemented and instrumental survey of the reactor vessel was performed in compliance with the requirements of the RA Committee for Nuclear Safety Regulation (CNSR). Repair of the SG composite weld seams №23 and reactor upper unit components was also performed.

To obtain an authorization for further operation of the unit a justification of safety of the spent fuel storage pools was also submitted to the CNSR of the RA.

All the activities were implemented with a view to improve the ANPP operation safety and to enhance the effectiveness of electricity generation (10-12%) without additional consumption of nuclear fuel.