ANKARA
The Armenian government announced on Tuesday that it has voted to extend the lifespan of the country’s only nuclear plant until 2026.
During a session in the Armenian parliament, a decision to cooperate with Russia to extend the facility was overwhelmingly passed.
The Metsamor facility, only 16 kilometers from the Turkish border, was built during the 1970s.
Rosatom, the Russian Federation’s national nuclear body, has agreed to be responsible for technical care of the facility. Russia will also provide Armenia with a $270 million loan and a $30 million grant.
Before the vote, Areg Galstyan, Armenia’s deputy energy minister, said that if technical maintenance of the facility goes well, the plant will operate again until 2026.
The initial agreement to extend the plant’s lifespan by 11 years was signed by Energy Minister Yervand Zakharyan and Rosatom’s Director General Sergey Kirienko on 24 April 2014.
Metsamor produces around 40 percent of Armenia's electricity. Armenia is relying on foreign energy resources to build a new nuclear plant, estimated to cost around $5 billion.
