Pashinyan Says Armenia’s Nuclear Plant Decision Will Be Based on Economics, Not Politics

YEREVAN — Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Armenia’s decision regarding the type of future nuclear power plant it will build will be based on economic considerations rather than political preferences.

Speaking to journalists during a “Civil Contract” campaign event in Yerevan, Pashinyan stated that Armenia is evaluating proposals from multiple countries, including Russia, the United States, France, South Korea, and China.

“This is not a political choice for us; it is an economic issue. Armenia will work with whichever country offers the best proposal,” Pashinyan said.

According to the prime minister, Armenia’s growing solar energy sector reduces the need for a traditional 1,000-megawatt nuclear plant. Instead, the government is focusing on the possibility of constructing a modular nuclear power station.

“We are currently focused on and want to have a modular nuclear plant because, if necessary, additional power units could later be constructed,” he explained.

Pashinyan emphasized that modular nuclear plants are considered significantly safer than traditional reactors and are designed to avoid disasters similar to the Chernobyl disaster.

“The most important issue for us is that a modular plant cannot lead to an accident like the one at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. In the event of an accident at a modular station, it is considered a localized incident, and neighboring communities would not need to be evacuated,” he said.

The prime minister also noted that Russia has developed its own modular nuclear technology in the form of a floating nuclear power plant currently operating at sea.

“When the proposals are submitted, we must first evaluate the technology and then the pricing. Even in the case of a nuclear plant, we do not want to make a political choice. This is an economic issue, and we want to guarantee the long-term sustainability and profitability of the project for Armenia,” Pashinyan added.

Earlier, Armenian Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan had stated that Armenia’s future nuclear power plant would be modular.

Modular nuclear power plants represent a new generation of nuclear energy facilities that differ from traditional plants in size, construction methods, and operational flexibility.