The Armenian nuclear plant at Metsamor is about to commission a dry storage for spent nuclear fuel and receive assurances of fresh fuel shipments from the Russian government.
“The Armenian nuclear power plant has resources to operate for 17 more years,” said Suren Azatyan, president of the joint stock company Armenian NPP. The statement came after the EBRD had promised an ECU 10 million loan to the plant given its shutdown by the year 2004. At present, spent fuel is stored on site in pools, including the one located at the shut down reactor. The pools were full by 1997.
In early 1996, Framatome won a contract on the construction of a dry storage unit at the plant. The contract was funded with French government aid amounting to FFr 15.5 million. An additional FFr 24.5 million were granted as a loan for 40 years. The storage facility was completed in August and commissioning will take place after close inspection by the IAEA. The facility is designed for 50 years’ storage of spent nuclear fuel.
