Armenia acknowledges work with Western contractors at nuclear power plant

Authorities in Armenia have acknowledged that they are working with Western contractors at the Metsamor nuclear power plant, bypassing specialists from the state corporation Rosatom, who are involved in extending the station's operational life.

According to a statement from the press service of the nuclear power plant, the EU supports Armenia's nuclear safety by implementing additional measures for conducting stress tests.

"Alternative water supply equipment, funded by the EU and supplied by the Slovak company VÚEZ to the Armenian nuclear power plant, has successfully passed factory and acceptance tests, confirming full compliance with technical requirements. The European Union continues to support Armenia in strengthening nuclear safety through the implementation of measures identified based on the results of the stress test assessment by the EU expert mission. This support includes the provision of EU technical expertise, as well as the provision of modern equipment to ensure safety in severe accidents," the statement from the nuclear power plant posted on Facebook reads.

It is also noted that the acceptance commission of the nuclear power plant, consisting of station employees, an EU consultant, and a representative of the European Commission, participated in the acceptance tests on site.

On June 3, Secretary of the Russian Security Council Sergei Shoigu stated that the Armenian authorities are carrying out uncoordinated work with Western contractors at the nuclear power plant in the republic. In this context, he warned that this could not only lead to the loss of guarantees but also result in a catastrophe.

The operation of the existing nuclear power plant in Metsamor is being extended thanks to cooperation between the Armenian government and the Russian company Rusatom Service. The corresponding decision was made in December 2023 following the conclusion of the main part of the meeting of the Armenian-Russian intergovernmental commission. The Armenian government allocated $65 million for the implementation of the program to extend the service life of the second power unit of the nuclear power plant until 2036.

Source: TASS