Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom sees no technical obstacles to extending the operation of Armenia’s Nuclear Power Plant until 2036, Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev said.

Axar.az reports, citing Armenian media, that Rosatom and Armenian specialists have already completed significant work to extend the plant’s operating life.

Likhachev said the main part of the work for the next stage and 100 percent of the production tasks have been completed within the framework of the working group.

“Both I and our specialists have no doubt that the operation of the plant will be extended until 2036,” he said.

However, Likhachev noted that the final decision rests with the plant’s operator and Armenia’s nuclear regulatory authority.

He also said Russia and Armenia were discussing a longer-term option to extend the plant’s operation until 2046. According to Likhachev, such an extension is technically possible, but its economic feasibility would also need to be assessed.

He added that construction of a new nuclear power unit was becoming one of the key priorities for the future development of Armenia’s nuclear energy sector.