IAEA Expresses Concern Over Lack Of Progress On Armenian-2 Licence Extension

12 Jun (NucNet): An International Atomic Energy Agency Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) team said it has concerns about the “lack of timely progress” in extending the operating licence for the country’s Armenian-2 nuclear reactor. The team, which today concluded a 13-day mission to review the regulatory framework for nuclear and radiation safety in Armenia, said the government should provide the Armenian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (Anra) with adequate human and financial resources, taking into account the planned design lifetime extension for Armenian-2, a Russian 375-megawatt pressurised water reactor that began commercial operation in May 1980. Though the operating licence expires in 2016, Anra has not yet received an application for an extension of the operation of the reactor, which accounts for 40 percent of Armenia’s electricity production, the IAEA said. Extending a reactor’s operating licence requires careful safety evaluation by the regulatory body and usually takes more than one year, the IAEA said.