The Armenian commission that regulates public services in the country has extended the operating license for the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported on Tuesday, citing a source in the commission’s press service.
The source told Interfax that the decision to extend the license was reached on June 8 and it took effect on June 10.
According to the report, the previous license for the plant, which was issued 15 years ago, expired on June 10 this year. An application to receive a new license was submitted to the commission a month ago the source said.
Armenian Nuclear Power Plant plans to halt operations on June 15, for 65 days for maintenance and for fuel to be loaded.
The Metsamor Nuclear Power plant produced 1.9 billion kilowatt hours of electricity in 2003, or 36 percent of the total generation of electricity in Armenia. ZAO Inter RAO UES, a subsidiary of Russia’s Unified Energy System, and Armenia signed a contract in September 2003 to hand over trust management of the plant to Inter RAO UES.
The Nuclear Power Plant, which has two reactors with a total capacity of 815 megawatts, was closed in 1988 due to political and economic reasons. Its second reactor was restarted at a capacity of 407.5 megawatts in 1995.
Armenian Economic Development and Trade Minister Karen Jshmartian announced earlier that a program for the mothballing of the plant should be prepared by the end of 2004.
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