At its meeting on March 23, the Armenian government adopted a resolution to start the process of extending the operation of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP) until 2036. The rationale for the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers noted that the design life of the ANPP expired in 2016, but due to large-scale modernization and re-equipment of the station, it was extended until 2026.

It is specified that the work was financed by Russian credit and grant funds in the amount of $189 million and the state budget of Armenia in the amount of $162 million. The government decision envisaged developing an appropriate program, assessing the technical possibilities of extending the life of the ANPP for another ten years, the necessary financial resources, and the impact of possible investments on the electricity tariff for the end consumer.

Notably, the ANPP is the only one in the South Caucasus region, located near the city of Metsamor, about 30 km west of Yerevan. It was commissioned in 1980. The station has two nuclear power units with VVER-440-type reactors. Currently, only the second unit of the ANPP is operating, providing up to 35% of the annual electricity generation in the republic in recent years.