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Recently, several dozen organizations posing as environmentalists in Türkiye held a protest in the city of Igdir, demanding that the Armenian government stop operating the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), citing environmental and health risks.
The protesters made a number of false and manipulative claims regarding the service life, conditions, and safety risks of the Metsamor NPP, which were addressed by the Fact Investigation Platform.
Manipulation regarding the service life
Turkish organizations claim that the Armenian nuclear power plant’s service life had expired 20 years ago.
Thus, the second reactor of the Metsamor NPP, the Soviet-type JJER-440, which is the only one in operation today, was commissioned in 1980, and the design service life of this type of reactors is set at 30 years.
This means that even if the design life has expired, it did so in 2010, which is not “20 years ago,” as Turkish organizations claim.
At the same time, the claim that the reactor’s service life has expired is manipulative, as the organizations ignore the reactor’s international licensing and extension and modernization programs. Thus, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the reactor’s design service life cannot limit its further operation if appropriate technical upgrades and safety improvement measures have been carried out; according to the IAEA, reactors can operate for 50 years or more if they are modernized in a timely manner.
It should be highlighted that since the 2000s, numerous modernization and safety improvement measures have been taken at the Metsamor NPP. FIP.am has previously covered these in an extensive article.
Thanks to these measures, the Armenian government, with the authorization of the IAEA, was able to extend the service life, first until 2016, then until 2021, and then until 2026.
Work is currently underway to extend the reactor’s service life until 2036.
Thus, the claim that the reactor’s service life has expired, based solely on the design life of the nuclear power plant, is manipulative, as it ignores the official authorization for the extension by the IAEA, based on the plant’s modernization and numerous safety measures.
The outdated and false thesis on seismic risk
Turkish organizations, speaking about the seismic risks of the Armenian nuclear power plant, claim that “it is widely known in society that the Metsamor nuclear power plant was on the verge of disaster during the 1988 earthquake.”
Thus, on December 7, 1988, during the devastating earthquake in the Spitak city area of Armenia (83 km from the NPP), the NPP’s power units continued to operate at nominal capacity, since the reactors’ seismic protection signal automatically stops them in the event of an earthquake of magnitude greater than 6.
After the earthquake, in February and March 1989, power units No. 1 and No. 2 were shut down by the decision of the USSR Council of Ministers, which was followed by an inspection by the relevant commission. Accordingly, no violations were found in the structures, equipment and systems of the nuclear power plant related to the seismic impact of the earthquake, and the commission concluded that the NPP withstood the earthquake.
Thus, the claim that the nuclear power plant “reached the verge of disaster” during the Spitak earthquake is a distortion and exaggeration of historical facts.
As for the claims about the current seismic risks of the nuclear power plant, the IAEA has repeatedly stated (1,2) that the Metsamor NPP is sufficiently modernized to respond appropriately to seismic risks.
Thus, although the Metsamor NPP is located in a seismic zone, it can withstand the relevant risks due to its modernized systems.
The real reasons for air pollution levels in Igdir
Turkish organizations attribute the level of air pollution in the city of Igdir and the resulting spread of a number of diseases exclusively to the operation of the Armenian nuclear power plant.
Thus, Igdir is considered the most polluted city in Türkiye, and sometimes (in 2023) in the entire European region, in terms of air pollution. It is noteworthy, however, that in international and local analyses of air pollution indicators in the city, the Armenian nuclear power plant is not only not the main factor, but is often not even mentioned.
Instead, according to experts, the first of the main factors of air pollution in the city is its geographical location: the city is located in a valley, surrounded on three sides by mountains, including Ararat. This relief prevents air circulation, as a result of which polluted air remains near the city and does not disperse.
Another factor is the use of low-quality fuel: a significant share of the city’s population uses low-quality coal for heating in winter, since many districts are not yet gasified. This, in turn, causes a large amount of fine dust and sulfur dioxide emissions.
The listed reasons include also the lack of green zones, the number of mainly concrete buildings, and the ongoing large-scale construction work without proper supervision.
Thus, there is no scientifically substantiated data indicating a direct connection between the Metsamor nuclear power plant and air pollution in Igdir. In addition, the Armenian nuclear power plant has been under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency for years, and to date, no violations have been identified that would lead to significant environmental pollution.
Meanwhile, as it is evidenced by international and Turkish analyses, it is the factors listed above that have a significant impact on the negative air pollution indicators in the city.
Azerbaijanis have joined in the Turkish falsehood
The Turkish NGOs’ call to shut down the Metsamor nuclear power plant was later joined by the Azerbaijani coalition called “Environment First.” Among the repeated false theses, one of the coalition representatives claimed during a press conference that “the international community does not allow Armenia to build a new nuclear power plant.”
He also claimed that the consent of neighboring countries is required to build a nuclear power plant near the border. It is known that Armenia is officially discussing options for building a new nuclear power plant with international partners, in particular, Russia and the United States.
On June 9, during the discussion of the annual report “On the Implementation of the RA State Budget for 2024,” Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure David Khudatyan stated that based on the results of the research conducted for the construction of a new nuclear power unit in Armenia, its model will be specified, taking into account both the peculiarities of Armenia’s energy system, and issues related to capacity and financing structure.
According to international law, a sovereign state, including Armenia, has the right to build a nuclear power plant on its territory. At the same time, like every country, Armenia is obliged to take into account international treaties and meet the standards and requirements for building a new nuclear power plant.
There is also no reference in open and official sources to international actors or the IAEA having expressed a negative opinion on these plans of the Armenian government; in fact, the coalition representative’s claim that there is an international ban on the construction of a new nuclear power plant is false and not evidence-based.
The coalition representative also claimed that Armenia must obtain consent from neighboring countries to build a new nuclear power plant.
This is also false: Article 3 of the 1991 Espoo Convention (Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context) only obliges states to inform and consult with neighboring countries on major projects, including nuclear power plant construction projects, where they may have a potential transboundary impact on the environment.
This does not imply permission or approval from the neighboring state/states.
Neither does the Convention on Nuclear Safety, adopted in 1994, oblige any state to obtain permission or approval from another state for the construction of a nuclear power plant; at the same time, the convention obliges to ensure the safe operation of nuclear power plants.
Nane Manasyan
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