An Armenian delegation of mass media representatives and nuclear power experts paid a visit to Kola NPP to learn from experience in upgrading and service life extension of power units. The press tour participants were journalists from Golos Armenii, information agencies Sputnik Armenia, Novosti-Armenia, specialists from Scientific and Educational Foundation Noravank and CJSC RI ARMATOM.
Armenian NPP carries out works to upgrade Unit 2 aimed at its service life extension until 2026 and further until 2036. The project is implemented by Rosenergoatom Concern’s (part of ROSATOM) subsidiaries: JSC Atomenergoremont and JSC Concern Titan-2 (led by JSC Rusatom Service). Armenian nuclear power experts and public show great interest in this experience of the Russian Polar nuclear power plant is of serious interest, because Kola NPP has done a great deal of work to enhance safety.
The cooperation of the two nuclear power plants is conditioned not only by the same type of operated reactors (VVER-440). Initially, the construction of Armenian NPP was inseparably linked with Kola NPP where there is a special division for training of personnel for the nuclear power plant built in Armenia – Adjustment, Testing and Commissioning Shop.
“We have had very warm and friendly and professional relations with the Directorate of Armenian NPP being built from the very beginning,” Director of Kola NPP Vasiliy Omelchuk remembers. “Kola NPP specialists actively participated in Armenian NPP units commissioning. This cooperation continues today. We are ready to act jointly, solve our common problems, including service life extension and upgrading of the power units,” he said.
In his response, Leading Analyst, Deputy Director for Science of Scientific and Educational Foundation Noravank, National Energy Expert of UN Development Program (UNDP), Ph.D. (Engineering) Ara Marjanian said thanks to Kola NPP specialists for the very informative visit and expressed his opinion that nuclear power is the bridge that strengthen the friendship of Armenia and Russia. “The assistance of and cooperation with ROSATOM provide the strategic degree to Armenia’s energy generation,” he said.