Azernews.Az

Friday March 29 2024

EU seeks shutdown of Armenia nuclear power plant

20 February 2013 12:22 (UTC+04:00)
EU seeks shutdown of Armenia nuclear power plant

By Sara Rajabova

The European Union wants shutdown of the Metsamor nuclear power plant in Armenia because of its outdated facilities and location in a seismic zone, head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan Roland Kobia has said.

"This nuclear plant poses a threat to neighboring countries, including Azerbaijan. The EU has long been working to achieve the shutdown of Metsamor nuclear plant, because it is too dangerous," Kobia said.

Metsamor is one of the few remnants of the old Soviet nuclear reactors built without primary containment structures. Only a few of these first generation water-moderated reactors are still in use today, being past or near their original retirement ages, but what sets the Metsamor nuclear power plant apart from all the others is the fact that it's located in a potentially hazardous seismic zone.

Several years ago, the EU called the facility "a danger to the entire region," but Armenia later turned down the EU's offer of a 200 million euro ($289 million) loan to finance Metsamor's shutdown. The US government also underlined this fact, calling the plant "aging and dangerous", and urged construction of a new one.

The EU again called on Armenia to stop the operation of the Metsamor power station in 2011. It offered Armenia $100 million in financial aid to meet the country`s demand for power.

The lifespan of Metsamor expired in 2010, but Armenia and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts have agreed to continue the operation of the plant until 2016.

Armenian authorities several years ago set 2016 as the target date for Metsamor's retirement. Then, on November 6, officials announced that given Metsamor's favorable results in 2011 and stress tests conducted by the IAEA, the facility's lifespan would be extended to 2026.

The United States, under a 2012 memorandum of understanding on energy sector cooperation, is willing to lend a helping hand. US Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern said although Washington would have liked to see Metsamor shut down by 2016, "it is ready to continue providing the necessary resources to keep the plant operating safely."

The nuclear power plant poses a serious threat to the security of the entire region, especially to the neighboring countries - Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Therefore, the three countries demand immediate shutdown of the plant in view of the danger to the whole region.

Turkey's Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said earlier that Ankara has demanded immediate closure of the Metsamor power plant, which is a threat to all countries in the region.

Also, a campaign has been launched in the Turkish city of Igdir to collect signatures demanding closure of the obsolete power plant.

Georgian Green Party leader Giorgi Gachechiladze said this plant is outdated both technologically and morally, and for this reason the risk of an accident is "pretty high".

Azerbaijani officials have also voiced their concern over the 33-year old nuclear power plant.

Azerbaijan will raise the issue of the dangers posed by the Metsamor nuclear plant at the 12th winter session of the OSCE Parliament Assembly, Azerbaijani delegation member, MP Eldar Ibrahimov said.

He said that at the session it will be emphasized that the Metsamor nuclear power plant is in emergency condition and that there are appropriate comments of the IAEA in this regard.

Besides, in January, members of the Group of the Greens of the European Parliament, Bart Staes of Belgium and Ulrike Lunacek of Austria, sent a request to the European Commission on "Nuclear Security in the South Caucasus". The MPs stated that one of the reactors at Metsamor was re-launched following the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions of Azerbaijan.

The members of the European Parliament draw the attention to the presence of uncontrolled nuclear zones in Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven surrounding regions occupied by Armenia, and point out that this issue is of particular concern.

"The existence of uncontrolled nuclear zones in Azerbaijan's occupied territories creates a real nuclear threat to the whole Caucasus," the MPs noted.

The deputies reminded of the calls to close the Metsamor power plant by 2016 and also questioned the European Commission on what practical steps will be taken to prevent the possibility of another Fukushima on Europe's border and avert this nuclear danger.

The Metsamor plant was built in 1970. Although it was closed following the devastating 1988 earthquake in Spitak in 1995, the station's operation was resumed and a second reactor was launched despite international criticism.

According to environmentalists and scientists from all over the region, seismic activity in the area renders Metsamor nuclear plant an extreme risk even if a new generation reactor were to be built. Given the large number of minor earthquakes in the area in the last ten years, as well as the intensification of the seismic processes, scientists predict that in the event of a major accident at Metsamor, not only Armenia, but also other countries of the South Caucasus and Middle East states would be severely affected.

Loading...
Latest See more