Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed that the country received a proposal from Rosatom for the construction of a large nuclear power plant with a capacity of up to 1000 MW. However, the republic's authorities are now leaning towards building a modular nuclear power plant instead of a classic large power unit.
According to Pashinyan, Yerevan also received similar proposals from companies from South Korea and France. At the same time, the Armenian side considers the project primarily from an economic point of view – taking into account the cost, construction time, and future benefits for the country's energy system.
The key problem for large nuclear power plants is the changing generation structure. Armenia is actively increasing its solar energy capacity, and, as the Prime Minister noted, at current rates, the country may not need a 600–1000 MW plant. Against this background, modular reactors look like a more flexible solution: they can be introduced in stages and scaled up faster with increasing consumption.
This refers to small modular reactor technology, which is considered one of the main trends in the global nuclear energy industry. Such plants take up less space, require lower initial investments, and have a higher level of passive safety compared to traditional reactors.
Currently, Armenia continues to operate the existing Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant (Armenian NPP) with the support of Rusatom Service. The country's authorities have already allocated $65 million to extend the service life of the second power unit until 2036, and in the future, the plant's operation until 2046 is being discussed.
Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Russian project for a new nuclear power plant could meet Armenia's energy needs "for a century to come."