Sergei Shoigu on risks of US-constructed small NPPs in Armenia for  Russia

ArmInfo. Russia will be forced to consider new nuclear safety risks if the construction of small reactors using American technology in Armenia moves into the practical phase, stated Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei  Shoigu.

On Monday, following his visit to Armenia, US Vice President J.D.  Vance announced that the United States would supply Armenia with  small modular reactors as part of a nuclear energy agreement.

"Armenia, as we know, is a seismically hazardous region. The unique  foundation technology used by Soviet engineers during the  construction of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant allowed it to  successfully survive the devastating 1988 earthquake; one power unit  is still operating. If the construction of small reactors using  American technology in Armenia moves into the practical phase, we,  like all other states in the region, and the people of Armenia  itself, will be forced to consider these new nuclear safety risks,"  Shoigu said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

According to him, Russia will essentially have to assume that  "American nuclear technology experiments will be conducted nearby, in  a seismically hazardous zone."

"Therefore, yes, this should be considered a threat. I don't want to  draw parallels, but let me remind you that it was the American  reactors that were destroyed by the earthquake at Japan's Fukushima  Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, leading to large-scale radioactive  contamination of the environment," the Russian Security Council  Secretary noted.

As a reminder, the possibility of constructing several small modular  nuclear reactors with a capacity of 50- 60 MW was previously  discussed in Armenia. Moreover, their construction in several regions  of the country was even considered. However, one of the most  significant challenges in this area is the lack of reactor management  skills among Armenian nuclear scientists. Previously, Gera Sevikyan,  Advisor to the Director General of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant,  told ArmInfo that a fundamental decision had been made to build a new  unit in the country using the Russian TOI reactor with a capacity of  1200 MW.  However, as Gnel Sanosyan, Minister of Territorial  Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia,  subsequently noted, constructing a unit of such capacity is fraught  with problems, since the capacity of Armenia's entire energy system  remains the same: 1200 MW. Later, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol  Pashinyan announced that the country had made a fundamental decision  to build a modular nuclear reactor. The country of production for the  modular nuclear power plant, according to Armenian authorities, will  be determined in 2026-2027.