7 minutes of Armenia coverage in Transcaucasian Telegraph’s Aug/1/2024 edition.
Armenian manufacturer of components for anti-tank systems considers exporting its products after selling certain quantities to Armenia’s defense ministry
High-tech minister Hayrapetyan visited the Aragats company specialized in the design, development, and mass production of electronic devices for military use.
They are manufacturing thermal monitoring devices for the anti-tank Fagot system. The CEO says the quality is the same as foreign alternatives, at a 4x lower price.
The Minister and the CEO discussed topics relating to the employment and training of engineers, production and expansion of infrastructure.
members of the Parliamentary Defense Committee visited the domestic arms manufacturer "Davaro": PHOTOS
The MPs learned about the company’s current and future projects, drones, and discussed legislative reforms to remove obstructions for domestic manufacturers.
government will make it easier for domestic military industry companies to receive funding for the development of weapons \ Anti-bureaucracy reforms
To receive funding from the Military-Industrial Committee today, a company must go through every stage of R&D and the prototype-testing-confirmation process by the state.
The amendment proposed by the Government will allow the company that already has the scientific component to skip that stage and receive funding for the production phase.
MINISTER HAYRAPETYAN: The annual budget for our manufacturers is not always spent in full, often because some of the companies don’t need to use the scientific component, which disqualifies them.
The amendment will also allow us to release additional funds for companies that need to produce additional units for testing conducted by the state. Sometimes the army requests more units for testing. Today these manufacturers are forced to find investors or organize fundraising.
We are also changing the process of testing and approving the manufactured products.
To cut a lot of bureaucracy, we have also decided to consolidate and streamline the approval of certain decisions, which today requires two separate processes initiated by two ministries.
Our message to the manufacturers is that we are enacting reforms to simplify your work, save time, and reduce bureaucracy. //
The parliament is expected to approve the amendments later this year.
Armenian army chief visited the annual Land Warfare Conference in London
CoGS Asryan attended the conference about modern land warfare, possible solutions, partnership opportunities, and the latest military-political and industrial developments.
Asryan met his British counterpart CoGS Walker to discuss the AM-UK cooperation and possible expansion.
Azerbaijani envoy met U.S. officials in Washington to discuss the AM-AZ peace process
Aliyev’s envoy Elchin Amirbekov met Biden’s NatSec official Michael Carpenter, and deputy foreign ministers James O’Brien and Yuri Kim.
Context: Azerbaijan has been avoiding the peace treaty with Armenia and continues to demand amendments to Armenia’s Constitution despite it not being a legal obstruction to an international peace treaty. Armenia accuses Azerbaijan of intentionally torpedoing the peace process and plotting aggression amid the sale of Israeli and Serbian weapons to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan continues to illegally occupy parts of the Republic of Armenia, and refuses to follow the World Court order to create conditions for the safe return of the Indigenous population of Nagorno-Karabakh.
operation of Armenia’s nuclear power plant can be extended by another 5 years after 2036: nuclear commission expert
The government had formed a commission tasked with nuclear topics. One of its members, the director of Hayatom, says the work is underway to extend the lifespan of Metsamor NPP until 2036, after which it will be possible to extend it by another 5 years based on the experience of other similar reactors, because the current reactor has been well maintained and renovated throughout the years,
EXPERT: I believe Armenia’s new NPP should be 600 MW, which is an average power. Anything under 300 MW is considered "modular"or small. We have an offer from Russia, the US, Koreans, Chinese… there haven’t been much negotiations with the Chinese, to be honest. They say there are 600 MW blocs there [in China] but there haven’t been specific requests and offers. How do the Chinese do it? They take the French model and modify it.
There were some talks with Koreans… brief negotiations. They have 1400 MW blocs. They build it well, but again, there haven’t been active negotiations with Koreans, either.
Active negotiations were held with the US and Russia:
Westinghouse is building them in the US. They have 1000 MW and 300 MW (AP300). The latter is the smaller version of 1000 MW. It’s similar to our Metsamor NPP because it uses water and pressure.
There is also a reactor built with Hitachi. It’s a boiling-water reactor. Everything is inside the reactor. It doesn’t operate like ours. Last year a large scientific forum was held in Romania attended by me. Americans signed an agreement with Romania. These reactors will be built in the US by 2029, and in Romania by 2031.
REPORTER: Is Russia the only country that can deliver the reactor we need?
EXPERT: No, Russia doesn’t have the 600 MW, they are offering 1200 MW. So the Russian side is looking for solutions. There is an option to build 1200 and split the produced electricity so half of it can be exported by the company [Rosatom] that built the reactor. Russia could build the 1200 reactor in Armenia and export 600 to Iran. This would be a great option.
The Armenian government should calculate the price per kW and choose the best technology.
Russians have presented a technical-financial plan for building a 1200 in Armenia. The US will soon present theirs. The Americans are considering various options: 1000, 300, and 300-boiler. We will see what Americans offer.
The problem with Americans is that none of them even have a license to build. The exception is the 300-boiling reactor that they want to build in Romania, Poland, Canada, and the US.
REPORTER: Is Armenia choosing between inexperienced Americans and experienced Russians?
EXPERT: No. Americans have more nuclear reactors than any other country; they are experienced. Russians are a lot more active, though. Russians build in various parts of the world while Americans haven’t done so over the last 20-25 years. But it’s activating again. Everyone wants to capture markets.
Russians also have modular reactors. They are building them in upper Yakutia, where they have transmission problems. They built one on the Lomonosov ship. Russians are building slightly faster.
REPORTER: Is there already a decision over which one is better?
EXPERT: It’s a close competition. (A) The Russian 1200. However, I must say that if they believe the best location of the new reactor is next to the current one, then there could be a shortage of water for cooling the Russian 1200. This is why they proposed to build "dry" cooling towers instead, but the problem is, these dry towers might not work well under 40C temperatures. The dry towers barely work sufficiently under Hrazdan temperatures, let alone there. So they are discussing the potential use of new wells, but this issue of water cooling is still being evaluated.
(B) Modular. This is split into two categories: AP300 and boiling-300. We could build two 300 blocs.
REPORTER: When can we learn about the choice?
EXPERT: We are waiting for the final offers. I think by early 2025 we should be able to make a decision. It’s difficult to make a choice right now.
government will create a new company to manage the construction and management of the new nuclear plant
A closed joint-stock company will be created, in accordance with guidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to manage Armenia’s new nuclear plant project "in a more institutional and systematic manner."
The organization should conduct a comparative study between all the proposed technologies and feasibility studies, based on which it will present its professional proposal on the choice of technology.
After the latter is approved by the Government, the organization must negotiate and prepare the documents related to the construction, financing, possession and operation of the new nuclear power unit/s.
Given the stage of development of nuclear technologies in the world and geopolitical developments, within 1.5-2 years after the creation of this organization and the recruitment of relevant personnel, it will be able to give the government a reasoned proposal regarding the choice of technology.
This company, which will operate under the infrastructure ministry, will handle the construction and subsequently the operation of the nuclear plant.
government introduces tax breaks for honest companies
Some "small" slaughterhouses are evading taxes by reporting smaller turnover in order to fall into the lower tax bracket provided by the turnover tax system. Today the government approved a tax assistance program for other slaughterhouses that are harmed by the unfair competition.
Regular readers of Transcaucasian Telegraph may recall how fed up the government is with the turnover tax system. They plan to abolish it.
Armenia negotiates with Iran to allow the export of small cattle to Iraq
Armenia’s food safety agency held negotiations with Iran and obtained permission to use its territory to export animals like sheep to Iraq.
before export the animals must go through 21-day quarantine in the country of origin under the supervision of the representative of Iranian Veterinary Organisation (IVO)
Earlier this year Iran allowed the export of large cattle through its territory.
government will take out a $40 million loan from IBRD to rebuild 3 electricity substations to reduce power outages
The goal:
• modernization
• fewer and shorter power outages
• higher reliability
• smaller operational and maintenance costs
The substations:
• Shahumyan-2, capacity 250 MVA, built in 1964
• Marash, capacity 375 MVA, built in 1978
• Yeghegnadzor, capacity 126 MVA, built in 1966
these are Gyumri’s 5 new electric buses donated by EU: PHOTO
The mayor claims Gyumri is the first city in all of Transcaucasia to use electric buses for public transport. Needs a fact check. Big if true.
Just as the train was the first to enter Gyumri, the first electric buses in the entire Caucasus entered Gyumri. The project has several components, including buses that are all electric. We are informed that electric buses are the first in the Caucasus to enter Gyumri. It seems to be a tradition for us. the train was also the first to enter Gyumri, this is something to be praised, something to be proud of. We are thinking of gradually replacing our buses with electric buses. In that regard, we are already discussing possible plans and measures
authorities fine businessman Lfik Samo’s daughter over unauthorized transfer of their textile company’s shares
Astghik Alexanyan will pay a ֏1 million fine after her cousin donated a large number of shares to her without them receiving "concentration" approval from the state.
Alexanyan accepted the accusation and said she was unaware of the requirement to obtain permission.
Reporters Without Borders 2024 index shows the level of press freedom in countries
Armenia slightly rises, Azerbaijan and Georgia plummet.
(1) Norway (91.89)
(31) Moldova
(43) Armenia (71.6) (was 70.61)
(46) Italy
(48) Croatia
(49) Romania
(47) Poland
(55) United States
(59) Bulgaria
(61) Ukraine
(62) South Korea
(67) Hungary
(70) Japan
(88) Greece
(91) Papua New Guinea
(98) Serbia
(101) Israel
(103) Georgia (53.05) (was 61.69)
(116) Zimbabwe
(145) Somalia
(149) Sudan
(154) Yemen
(158) Turkey
(162) Russia
(164) Azerbaijan (27.99) (was 39.93)
(176) Iran
(180) Eritrea
Nuclear reactor choice: Russia vs. US; Need 2 years to decide; Cooling & size \ Domestic military industry; Easier funding; Less paperwork \ Energy infrastructure revamp \ Press freedom index \ Cattle to Iraq \ Gyumri's e-buses \ and…
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1 Comment
There’s no shot they’re gonna finish building the new NPP by 2036 at this rate