The Armenian nuclear power plant has commissioned a dry storage for spent nuclear fuel and received assurances of fresh fuel shipments from the Russian government. EBRD's demand to shut down the plant by 2004 was met with the intention to operate the plant for 17 more years. According to the president, there is no way the plant will be shut down by 2004 unless a substitute is built. However, Armenia's long-term energy plan, issued in 1995, assumes operation of the Armenian NPP until 2005 and then building a new plant by 2010.
Talks are underway with Germany, France and the U.S. as well.
Negotiations took place earlier this year, when an Armenian-Russian working group was established. But, since the substitute has not obtained any substance yet, the Armenian NPP may well continue in operation until 2015, if to rely upon the president's statement. The plant is built in a seismically active area, but designed to withstand an earthquake with a force of up to 9 on the Richter scale. Unit 2 was recommissioned in November 1995, when the country was cut off from the gas pipelines by Azerbaijan and faced severe energy shortages. The European Union opposed the project at the first stage, but, having faced the determination of the Armenian authorities, provided both technical and monetary assistance and loans later.