Rosatom proposes new 1,000-megawatt nuclear power unit in Armenia

Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom has proposed building a new 1,000-megawatt nuclear power unit in Armenia as Yerevan considers offers from international partners, its head said Tuesday.

Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev made the remarks following talks with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan in Yerevan.

Likhachev said the talks followed agreements reached during Pashinyan's earlier discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

He said the talks were “deep in terms of expertise and broad in scope,” adding that nuclear energy has a future in Armenia “for decades to come,” according to Russian media.

“The task now before us is to formulate the most competitive proposal in the coming months so that Armenia can select a partner and vendor for the construction of a new unit,” Likhachev said, according to Russian state news agency Tass.

“We have submitted a concrete proposal to the Armenian government for a 1,000-megawatt unit based on our best-in-class VVER-1000 design,” he added.

Likhachev said Armenia is also considering extending the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant’s service life until 2046. Rosatom is prepared to carry out the necessary work if Yerevan proceeds, he added.

“However, beyond technical feasibility, we must also consider economic viability,” he said, adding that extending the plant's operations would require substantial investment.

The ANPP was commissioned in 1976 and is located about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) west of the Armenian capital and around 16 kilometers (10 miles) from Türkiye's eastern border with Armenia.

The plant currently has a single operational power unit. Another was shut down following a 6.8-magnitude earthquake in 1988 that killed at least 25,000 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless.

Rosatom said in a statement following Tuesday's talks that the two sides also discussed extending the ANPP's operating license until 2036, as well as prospects for new nuclear power generation capacity in Armenia.

Pashinyan's office said Yerevan is considering proposals from international partners for the construction of a new nuclear power unit and expects to make a decision “in the near future.”

“Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that the final decision would be based exclusively on economic considerations, taking into account price, quality, safety, timelines, and guarantees,” the statement said.

His office added that Likhachev presented proposals for a new nuclear power plant as well as small- and medium-capacity power units and possible mechanisms for their implementation.