The lightning strike reminded of the risks associated with the operation of the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant.
The lightning strike reminded of the risks associated with the operation of the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant.
On August 30, at approximately 22:55, the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant in Metsamor was disconnected from the country's power grid, as reported by the Armenian Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure. The shutdown was caused by a lightning strike, which triggered the plant's safety systems to switch the station to a safe shutdown mode. Currently, the plant's staff is working on restarting the facility.
The Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant has long been a global concern. Azerbaijan and Türkiye have repeatedly called for the closure of this old, deteriorated nuclear station. The dangerous situation at the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant should be a worry not only for the regional countries but also for the Armenian population.
In 2006, the Armenian government announced that the plant's operational life would end in 2016. In 2011, an OSART (Operational Safety Review Team) mission, under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency and consisting of experts from eight countries (including the USA, the UK, France, Hungary, and Finland), conducted inspections at the Metsamor plant. The final statement concluded that operating the plant posed a significant risk.
The European Union (EU) has strongly urged the closure of the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant due to its failure to meet modern international safety standards and insists that any new plant built should comply with international safety norms. The EU has also expressed willingness to allocate 220 million euros for the decommissioning of the existing plant.
In Yerevan, there are complaints that constructing a new nuclear plant would require an investment of five billion dollars.
Politics
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