Armenian Nuke Plant Restarts Work, Monday

YEREVAN, October 1 (RIA Novosti's Hamlet Matevosyan) - The Armenian
nuclear power plant was stopped, July last, for an overhaul and
refuelling. It will recommence work October 4, on schedule, Gaghik
Markosyan, its Director General, announced today.
The plant has scheduled repairs annually, and overhauls once every
four years, he added.
This year's overhaul concerned turbine No. 4. There was also a
thorough check of the metal reactor casing. Industrial safety has been
increased, and the refuelling procedure has been introduced,
Mr. Markosyan said to Novosti.
The Armenian nuclear plant stopped in the small hours, July
30. Another, 12 million dollar batch of nuclear fuel was finally
delivered to the plant the week before.
Commissioned in 1980, the plant was shut down in March 1989 and
re-commissioned, November 1995, with an acute energy crisis in the
country. The INTER United Russian Power Grid paid for its fuel,
according to a contract.
Unit 2, with a first-generation VVER-440 water-cooled reactor, of
Russian manufacture, accounts for an average 30-40 per cent of
Armenia's entire electricity. Experts think the plant can safely work
up to 2016.
Plant management was warranted for five years, September last, to the
INTER United Russian Power Grid, United Russian Power Grid-its branch,
and the Rosenergoatom Russian nuclear industrial concern.
The European Union expressly demands the plant sealed, and is willing
to grant 100 million Euro for the purpose, while Armenian experts
think it will take close on a billion Euro to build sufficient
substitute plants in the country.