2024-09-02 19:08:18
2021 Armenia will celebrate the 55th anniversary of the atomic sector. 55 years ago, in 1966, the Council of Ministers of the USSR made a decision to build the first nuclear power plant in the Caucasus, the Armenian NPP.
This event was the beginning of the country’s rich atomic history. specialists in the field provide Armenia with affordable and environmentally clean energy, develop science and modern technologies to improve people’s quality of life.
“It is difficult to overestimate the role of the atomic sphere for Armenia. Undoubtedly, the leader is the Armenian NPP, which provides more than a third of the country’s electricity and ensures our energy security and independence. But today I also want to mention the increasing use of nuclear technology in medicine and science. The presence of atomic expertise in the country also contributes to the development of modern technologies, raises the training of personnel to a higher level. The nuclear industry in our country has developed thanks to the work of many scientific organizations and sectoral enterprises. They are: the Research Institute of Energy, the State Committee for the Regulation of Nuclear Safety under the Government of the Republic of Armenia, the Armenian Research Institute for the Operation of NPP, the European Center for Nuclear Medicine, the Center for the Production of Radioisotopes, the National Polytechnic University of Armenia and other scientific centers and institutions. – said Suren Papikyan, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures of Armenia.
“I want to express my gratitude to the veterans who created and successfully developed the atomic sector in Armenia from scratch, and to the young generation of specialists who have become worthy successors and contribute to the further development of the branch.”
Historically, the development of Armenia’s atomic sector proceeds in cooperation with Russian partners. Eduard Martirosyan, General Director of NPP CJSC, emphasized the great importance of such partnership relations for the development of the sector.
“The energy development program of Armenia assigns a dominant role to the atomic component, which is why the cooperation with the leading institutes and enterprises of the Russian Federation operating within the structure of the Rosatom State Corporation takes on a long-term nature.” The vast experience and serious developments of Russian institutes in the design of the newest types of reactors will be useful from the very beginning of our goals of replacing the NPP with the construction of a new modern facility for the use of nuclear energy.”
In the anniversary year, it is important to note that the construction and operation of the Armenian NPP contributed not only to the development of the country’s economy, but also contributed to the global atomic industry.
“This was the first nuclear power plant for regions with high seismicity. All developments and new approaches were later included in the NPP construction norms and are actively used until now, particularly in such earthquake-prone regions as Iran, India and Bangladesh. Now the atomic sphere of our country is experiencing a new, extremely important stage in its history. Joint works are being carried out with “Rosatom” in the direction of modernization of the station. The Armenian NPP will get a new life, with a higher level of safety, its operation will be extended until 2026, and in the future also until 2036, this is undoubtedly the best gift on the occasion of the anniversary,” said the advisor to the director of the Armenian NPP, a participant in the creation of the atomic industry of Armenia. Gera Sevikyan.
Today, the development of nuclear technology promotes sustainable development and scientific research. Thanks to the accumulated material, technical and scientific base, new directions of atom use are developing.
“All over the world, nuclear technologies are used for the benefit of people. help solve health and clean water issues, promote the development of new digital products and space exploration, and help fight climate change. For example, nuclear medicine has been gaining momentum in Armenia in recent years. production of isotopes began, positron emission tomography was performed for the first time, and the European Center for Nuclear Medicine was opened. Now the residents of Armenia can get help not only in other countries, but in Armenia itself. In turn, the Armenian NPP is a stable provider of clean energy, and the development of the industry will help reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere and make Armenia a leader in this indicator,” said Ara Marjanyan, UN energy expert in Armenia.
The atomic sector has also given the country the opportunity to form its own branch scientific cluster. Thousands of people work in the Armenian NPP, branch organizations and related enterprises. The demand for highly qualified personnel is also increasing year by year, and in connection with modernization and the construction of a new NPP in the future, a large number of young specialists will be needed who will be able to ensure the safety of the country’s nuclear facilities.
“When I finished school, I was sure that it was worth continuing my education in a technical direction. My father is an engineer, and I have relatives who are closely related to the atomic sphere. That’s why I have been to Metsamor many times since my early childhood and I always looked forward to the opportunity to see the huge cooling towers of our nuclear power plant,” says Araks Margaryan, engineer of the Armenian Research Institute for the Operation of the NPP (Hayatom GRI CJSC).
“I am still working as an engineer and I am very happy that I am an employee of one of the leading organizations in the energy sector. Management and senior colleagues share their experience and teach to apply the theoretical knowledge acquired at the university in practice. I consider my work very interesting and promising. I am glad that I chose that direction, because the atomic sphere will always be in demand, and it is simply impossible to imagine existing in the modern world without it.”