Armenia's nuclear plant can run until 2046, talk of modular reactors premature, expert says

Armenia’s Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant has been temporarily shut down for maintenance and technical upgrades and is expected to receive approval to operate for another 10 years, energy expert Eduard Arzumanyan said, dismissing discussion of deploying small modular reactors in the country as “energy illiteracy”.

In an interview to Panorama.am on Saturday, Arzumanyan said the plant had halted operations for several months to carry out technical and scientific measures required to secure an additional decade-long operating licence from the International Atomic Energy Agency.

He added that there are grounds to extend the plant’s lifespan even further.

“The plant will operate for 10 years. During that period, Russia is planning to adopt a new law, which has been delayed but remains on the agenda,” Arzumanyan said. “The law would allow nuclear power units similar to Armenia’s plant to operate for 50 years instead of 40.”

If Armenia is able to operate Metsamor until 2036 and the Russian legislation is adopted, the country could be entitled to extend operations by another 10 years, until 2046, he said. “In that case, there would be no need to talk about building a new nuclear power unit in Armenia, including a modular one.”

Arzumanyan criticised proposals to construct small modular reactors (SMRs) in Armenia, saying such technology is not yet viable for land-based use.

“Modular plants currently exist only in Russia and China, and only at sea,” he said, referring to floating nuclear power units deployed in remote Arctic regions of northern Siberia. These installations, typically mounted on ships and generating 10–20 megawatts, are used to supply electricity to industrial or military facilities in sparsely populated areas, he said.

According to Arzumanyan, such units operate for one or two years in remote locations, with a maximum lifespan of up to five years before reconstruction or decommissioning. He said Russia plans to build land-based modular reactors on its northern coast that would operate for up to 10 years, but none are currently in service on land.

“To speak about modular plants today is to speak about a 15–20 year future,” he said. “There is no land-based modular power plant operating anywhere. Existing ones are only on ships, in both Russia and China. The United States also intended to build such units about 10 years ago, but did not even complete them for maritime use.”

Arzumanyan also addressed questions about potential risks associated with integrating Armenia’s energy system with neighbouring countries.

“It is completely wrong to say that Armenia’s energy system should not be connected to neighbouring systems,” he said, noting that until 1992-93 Armenia had a transmission line near the Gyumri-Turkey state border and exported significant volumes of electricity to Turkey.

At the time, Turkey did not operate a nuclear power plant, he said, adding that Ankara is now constructing one. Azerbaijan currently exports electricity to Turkey via Georgia, which Turkey uses domestically and re-exports to Europe, he added.

If the Armenian-Turkish border were reopened, Armenia would have transmission lines in place to supply electricity directly, Arzumanyan said. Until now, electricity exports to Turkey have been routed through Georgia.

Georgia exports both surplus domestic electricity and power imported from Armenia and Azerbaijan to Turkey, he said. Armenia has also supplied electricity to Iran for more than 20 years in exchange for natural gas.

During the Soviet period, Armenia and Azerbaijan operated within a common energy system, he noted. However, transmission lines between the two countries have not been operational since 1992.