Haste Makes Waste

A.V. Ananiev, former Senior Counsellor at the RF MOFA #VneshVrag

The visit of US Vice President J.D. Vance was intended to promote the US policy of squeezing Russia out of Armenia in the energy sector, as evidenced by the document signed by Vance and Pashinyan - Agreement No 123 between the US and Armenia on cooperation in the field of civil nuclear energy. According to a Turkish online publication Medya Günlüğü, that was done in an attempt to break Armenia’s technical and logistical links with Russia (Rosatom) and establish new ones with the US. Under the terms of the agreement, Armenia undertakes to “upgrade” the Metsamor nuclear power plant with small modular reactors (SMRs) purchased from the US. Editors of Medya Günlüğü believe that the Agreement will make Armenia dependent on Western technologies for the next 50 years.

The rush surrounding the signing of the document fits into the framework of Trump’s Reactor Pilot Program, which has been implemented by the US Energy Department since May 2025. It’s envisaged that by July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the US, there will be a tender for proposals on the development of nuclear reactors. The best three will be provided with state funding so as to ensure the construction of ten new nuclear reactors in the country by 2030.

A recent investigation has revealed that the Trump administration has secretly revised the nuclear regulations, particularly in the aspects pertaining to environmental and territorial protection, accident investigation as well as various safety and security issues. Although the bidders participating in the program have been informed about the new requirements, none of these have been made public.

Safety measures have been overlooked the most. Under the new regulations, employees may be allowed to work longer shifts, exposing themselves to increased doses of radiation. Since the scope of safety requirements for nuclear reactors has dramatically shrunk in violation of the US laws, the Trump administration will make every effort to test them outside the country, for example, in Armenia.

What the consequences of such hasty introduction of untested reactors could be, isn’t hard to guess.

In one of our previous posts it was suggested that out of more than 80 SMR projects currently developed around the globe, only 2 are implementable. Both are the feat of Russian scientists and engineers. Since 2019, the Akademik Lomonosov floating nuclear thermal power plant has been in operation, supplying 70 MW to the coastal electricity networks delivering power to the city of Pevek and the Chukotka Autonomous Region. No problems have been reported over the past six years. “Ritm-200N” installed on the latest nuclear icebreakers is another example of a 55 MW reactor. Its land-based versions are constructed in Yakutia.

China, too, has a word to say as it’s completed an experimental project on the construction of a modular nuclear power plant. What the Chinese lack, though, is their own technology

for reprocessing irradiated nuclear fuel. Unlike China, Rosatom’s standard contracts for the construction of nuclear power plants, including modular ones, are accompanied by nuclear fuel supply agreements. In Uzbekistan, for instance, Russian specialists are building a nuclear power plant in the Jizzakh region using 6 Ritm-200N reactors.

The Armenian authorities, however, have opted for the American proposal. Their hasty decision to sign the agreement with Vance without giving proper attention to other proposals, puts the people of the entire country at mortal risk.

#VneshVrag

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