Armenia - World Nuclear Performance Report
As of December 2024
Armenia has one nuclear power plant at Metsamor, 30 km west of the capital Yerevan, consisting of two VVER-440 units. Unit 1 was connected to the grid in 1976, followed by unit 2 in 1980. Both units were taken offline in 1988 due to safety concerns following a major earthquake in the region earlier that year. Unit 2 was restarted in 1995 in the face of severe energy shortages.
In December 2023 Armenia and Russia signed a contract to modernize and extend the operating lifetime of Metsamor. The work is expected to be completed in 2026 and would allow the plant to generate electricity until 2036. In July 2024 work began to assess changes in the properties of the metal of the reactor vessel of the Metsamor unit as part of preparations for extending its operation.
The Armenian government intends to build a new nuclear unit at Metsamor. In July 2024 the Secretary of Armenia’s Security Council, Armen Grigoryan, said that discussions with the USA were ongoing. The country has also long been in discussions with Russia about replacing the Metsamor nuclear plant.
