(MENAFN- AzerNews)
Qabil Ashirov read more Poor and little but "kind-hearted and proud" Armenia intends to
run for help to its big and powerful neighbors, Turkiye and Iran.
Armenia swears that only for this purpose, they try to increase
NPPs (nuclear power plant) - but in reality, Nikol Pashinyan
follows foremr Iraqi leader Saddam Hossein's footprints. It would
be better if neither Armenian society nor Pashinyan should forget
the fate of Iraq and the Iraqi dictator.
Immediately after the humiliating defeat in the Second Karabakh
War, the unindustrialized Armenia suddenly remembered that it has
to improve electricity generation and sell it to the neighboring
industrialized countries. There are many sources for generating
electricity such as renewable energy, that Armenia has great
potential for, thermal power stations, and so on. However, for
unknown reasons, Armenia which locates in the quake-prone zone is
nuclear power stations with tight grip. Armenia has discussed the
issue with different countries including Russia, the USA, French,
and South Korea. in February 2023 the Rosatom Energy Projects
submitted the preliminary technical-economic substantiation of
building two 1200 MW reactors. Later South Korea offered to build
1000 and 1400MW reactors. According to Armenian mass media, the USA
also is interested in constructing modular reactors.
Speaking to Azernews, an active member of the
Azerbaijani National Academy of Science (ANAS) and the chairman of
the National Center for Nuclear Research, academician Adil Garibov
said that it is the sovereign right of each country to use any type
of energy source. As for safety Adil Garibov noted that after the
Chornobyl accident, countries take it more seriously to construct
nuclear reactors. These reactors are new, they have both a passive
protection system, and the system meets completely new
requirements. It can be said that companies working in the field of
nuclear technologies around the world are building completely safe
nuclear reactors. Seismic factors are taken into account in those
reactors and there are protection systems up to 10 points. However,
he said that no one can ensure that it will work in accordance.
“Metsamor NPP was the first plant to be built in a seismic zone
in the Soviet Union, and this factor was taken into account here as
well. The Soviet Union bought special seismic pads from Japan for
Metsamor. These reactors were supposedly seismically protected
reactors. From the safety point of view, they were the most modern
reactors of that time. However, during the Spitak earthquake, the
first unit did not work, some cracks appeared in the building, and
the system was stopped. In 1995, only the second unit was
commissioned. In extreme cases, no technology can withstand it. We
saw it in Fukushima nuclear disaster as well. In a country like
Japan, an accident occurred as a result of a power generator
failure during the tsunami,” Garibli said.
He underscored that the second unit of Metsamor NPP, which is
currently operating, should stop its operation. Because this
reactor was built and put into operation in the 80s. He mentioned
that its life is 25 years, but the reactor has been in operation
for more than 40 years.
“This reactor is a great crime not only against the neighboring
countries but also against the Armenian people themselves. No one
has ensured that the accident will not happen again at the NPP. If
such an accident happens in such a densely populated region, the
pollution of the Kura and Aras rivers, which are the basis of our
drinking water sources, will create a big problem. The world
community, especially the neighboring countries, should be active
in this matter. We are not saying this for the sake of enmity
towards the Armenian people. We say this for the safety of Armenia
itself,” the academician noted.
He pointed out that Armenia does not need Metsamor NPP as an
energy source. In fact, Iran, a close ally of Armenia, provides
enough gas to Armenia, and the country has a very powerful thermal
power plant due to which it generates enough electricity to meet
its needs and even sells electricity to Georgia.
“Also, Armenia has great hydroelectric power. As is known,
Azerbaijan invests in renewable energy and we are located in the
same region, and in the same climate zone with Armenia. In other
words, for their energy needs, Armenia can pay attention to this
field if they were really interested in energy production. But they
are not. Armenia does not need NPP only as an energy source but
perhaps for some evil intentions... In other words, it aims
to keep its status as a nuclear country or a country with nuclear
technology as well as to manage and master it. Previously
in the Armenian Parliament, the MPs raised the issue of dirty
bombs. They jabbered about having a dirty bomb. It should be
recalled that Armenia raised the issue of the production of dirty
bombs during the Second Karabakh War. So, this does not exclude the
fact that Armenia has the goal of creating a dirty bomb out of NPP.
There are 4 scientific research institutes in the nuclear field in
Armenia. Therefore, I believe that Armenia will never close the
NPP,” Garibli added.
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