Statement Regarding New Nuclear Power Plant in Armenia
Armen Manvelyan, a senior researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies, expressed skepticism about Nikol Pashinyan’s statement about building a new nuclear power plant in Armenia.
Key points:
Cost and feasibility:
A new nuclear power plant in Armenia would cost an estimated $5.5 billion.
Manvelyan doubts that anyone would invest in such a project due to the low potential for financial return and the technical challenges of importing necessary equipment and materials.
He believes Armenia’s market is too small to justify such a large investment.
Export potential:
Armenia lacks the opportunity to export electricity due to stalled projects to export power to Iran and Georgia.
Populist statement:
Manvelyan views Pashinyan’s statement as politically motivated, likely to appease the public rather than a genuine plan.
Lack of competitiveness:
He argues that Armenia is unlikely to be competitive in the global market for copper, another resource the government recently invested in.
Justification for government ownership:
Manvelyan suggests the government’s ownership of the “Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine” is the real reason behind Pashinyan’s statement about the new nuclear power plant.