YEREVAN, February 13. /TASS/. Armenia has requested Russia to provide an onsite briefing to an Armenian expert delegation on Russia’s floating modular reactor technology, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced at a news conference.

"We also discussed this topic - the construction of a modular nuclear power plant - with our Russian colleagues," Pashinyan explained. "Russia possesses this technology, which is uniquely characterized by its floating design, adapted from submarine reactor technology. If I’m correct, this technology is implemented in Chukotka (at the world’s only floating nuclear power plant, the Akademik Lomonosov, located in Pevek - TASS). We have asked our Russian counterparts to facilitate a visit for our expert delegation, so we can gain direct access to this innovative technology," he added.

Pashinyan also highlighted that during US Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Yerevan, Armenia joined the 123 Agreement on civil nuclear energy cooperation. This agreement enables Armenia to access comprehensive information about various modular reactor technologies developed in the United States.

"For countries not party to this agreement, such information remains classified. This means that outside the framework of the 123 Agreement, no one has access to the details of US modular reactor development," Pashinyan noted.

Nuclear power in Armenia

On February 3, Armenia's Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure David Khudatyan announced that Armenia has decided on a modular reactor option for its future nuclear power plant (NPP), which will replace the current Metsamor facility. The country is currently reviewing proposals from Russia, the United States, China, South Korea, and France.

During Vice President Vance’s visit to Yerevan on February 9, an agreement was signed between Washington and Yerevan concerning civil nuclear energy cooperation. This agreement is expected to enable US companies to provide Armenia with approximately $9 billion worth of products and services in this sector, including small modular reactors.

The operation of Armenia’s existing Metsamor NPP is being extended through cooperation between the government and Russian firm Rusatom Service. This decision was finalized in December 2023 following a meeting of the Armenian-Russian intergovernmental commission. The Armenian government allocated $65 million to extend the lifespan of the plant’s second power unit until 2036.

Furthermore, on February 11, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that the Metsamor NPP’s operation could potentially be prolonged until 2046, ensuring Armenia’s continued nuclear energy capacity in the coming decades.