Armenia said Thursday it had decided to extend the life of its Soviet-era nuclear reactor by four years until 2020 despite concerns raised by environmentalists in the earthquake-prone country.
Armenia said Thursday it had decided to extend the life of its
Soviet-era nuclear reactor by four years until 2020 despite concerns raised by
environmentalists in the earthquake-prone country.
"The prolongation of the existing nuclear plant's operation is needed to
ensure energy security and the energy independence of
Armenia
,
taking into account the time [needed] to build a new unit," authorities
said in a statement.
The Metsamor nuclear plant provides around 40 percent of electricity in
landlocked and resource-poor
Armenia
and
the authorities hope to construct a newer reactor there by the end of 2017.
It stands just 20 miles from the capital
Yerevan
,
close to the border with
Turkey
, and
is located in a seismic zone hit by a massive earthquake in 1988 that killed
25,000 people.
Local environmentalists have raised concerns that the reactor could be at risk
in the event of another earthquake, although the government has insisted it
would be safe.
The plant was closed for five years after the 1988 quake until energy shortages
led to its reopening, despite objections from
Europe
and
the
United States
.
Concerned over the reactor's high-risk location and ageing facilities, the
European Union in 2004 offered to provide EUR100 million in compensatory aid if
Armenia
agreed to shut it down permanently.
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