“The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant is following the safety recommendations and guidance from the IAEA,” Grossi told the Armenpress news agency. “This is very important. There have been important refurbishments done at the facility which were found to be indispensable. So we can continue operating.”
Grossi already praised those safety upgrades monitored by the IAEA when he visited Armenia and inspected Metsamor in October 2022. He said the UN nuclear watchdog will continue to “help the plant provide low-carbon energy safely and securely.”
Metsamor generates roughly 40 percent of Armenia’s electricity. Its sole functioning reactor went into service in 1980 and was due to be decommissioned by 2017.
Armenia’s former government decided to extend the 420-megawatt reactor’s life after failing to attract funding for the construction of a new and safer nuclear facility. In 2015, Russia allocated a $270 million loan and a $30 million grant to Yerevan for that purpose.
Russian and Armenian specialists essentially completed Metsamor’s modernization in 2021. Armenian officials now say the plant, located 35 kilometers west of Yerevan and just 16 kilometer from the Turkish border, can safely operate until 2036.
In September this year, Turkey renewed its demands for the closure of Metsamor. The Turkish Foreign Ministry claimed that the plant is “dangerous for the whole region” and pledged to continue seeking its decommissioning. Armenian officials dismissed the demands.
Speaking to Armenpress during the COP28 conference in the United Arab Emirates, Grossi downplayed Ankara’s stance.
“It’s not the only case,” he said. “In some other parts of the world where neighbors have certain issues, countries come to me and say 'what is happening in my neighbor?' So we take it seriously but give answers.”
“The most important thing is that Armenia continues to work seriously with us and reinforces the safety of the facility, and we are very confident,” added the IAEA chief.