On June 11, the Armenian government decided to provide a budget loan of 63 billion 200 million AMD from RA state budget to the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant CJSC to finance the lifetime extension of the second power unit of the ANPP, renouncing the remaining $ 70 million of the Russian loan. Reminder: in 2015 Russia has signed a $ 270 million loan agreement with Armenia to provide a $ 30 million grant to extend the lifetime of the ANPP's second power unit.
EcoLur talked about this topic with the experts in this field. In this publication we present the interview with Ara Marjanyan, UN National Expert on Energy.
-The Armenian government refused from the Russian loan for the modernization of the ANPP and decided to allocate funds from the state budget for that purpose.
How realistic is the government's substantiation for giving up the Russian loan? Is it the best solution in terms of cost savings?
- Undert the established conditions, we have to solve a purely financial problem. We lost 1.5 years for various reasons. The two main objectives of that decision are as follows: to speed up the financing process, to make it more efficient, to pay for the work performed, and the second block is to increase the share of Armenian companies in the work performed.
- Can the refusal of the Russian loan affect the safety of the ANPP in the conditions when "Rosatom" continues to carry out modernization works?
- All the major companies that once participated in the construction, design and modernization of the nuclear power plant will continue their work, hopefully faster and more rational in terms of time and finances.
- Attempts are currently being made to politicize the issue. This process should not be politicized, it has no political or geographical nuance. The government presented the list of works carried out at the ANPP, in particular, the replacement of the main systems and its upgrade, etc. $ 200 million was spent for this purpose. $ 70 million has not been spent, which should be allocated from the state budget. How realistic is the allocation of that amount from the state budget under the conditions of COVID-19?
- It is about providing 63 billion AMD until 2022 as state funding from the Armenian side. The government's decision calculates a certain plan to distribute that amount by years.
As for the fact that the financial burden will become more sensitive under the conditions of the epidemic, it is really so. We would have avoided it if the work had been performed according to the schedule and had been accomplished by the end of 2019, as we predicted. The projects related to the nuclear power plant must be implemented with the precision of the Swiss clock in order to meet the public and professional expectations.
- In case of new lending conditions, is it possible that the term of operation of the ANPP will be extended after 2026? Given the possible limitation of financial resources for modernization, what conditions are needed to ensure the safety of the ANPP?
- As for the security itself, it is an ongoing process. The safety of the Armenian nuclear power plant is assessed by international and Armenian professional structures.
The main expenses for ensuring the security of the residents of the communities in the area of the ANPP impact are vested on those communities.
- What's your opinion if that part of the state loan is directed to the construction of shelters and the purchase of anti-radiation items needed by the communities?
- This state loan is provided for clearly set works. To the question whether the communities should be ready for certain well-thought-out, pre-planned actions in this or that situation, definitely yes, it is just a completely different list of measures that should be financed, organized, implemented by other funds, through other channels. I don't think these two channels should be mixed with each other.
Communities need to be prepared to perform certain functions in situations like natural disasters. These works should be carried out in a calm atmosphere through the Civil Defense, the Ministry of Emergency Situations and other channels, without creating unnecessary panic.
Photo Credit: Sputnik Armenia
July 28, 2020 at 12:37