YEREVAN REFUTED STATEMENTS ON DANGER OF AIR TRANSPORTATION OF NUCLEAR FUEL FOR ARMENIAN NPP

Head of the Armenian State Atomic Energy Inspection Service Ashot Martirosian refuted the statements that the air transportation of nuclear fuel for the Armenian NPP bears potential danger of nuclear explosion. He said that when commenting to Mediamax agency on the corresponding pronouncement of representative of the European Commission Alexis Loeber published in Guardian. Loeber stated, in part, that the delivery of nuclear fuel by Russian freight carriers is “equal to flying atomic bombs”. “There is nothing like that throughout the world, nuclear fuel is being transported by sea or by land”, EU representative stated. However, A. Martirosian said that Armenia receives raw fuel, which is not radioactive. “Even theoretically it is impossible to imagine that during the air transportation a mass able to explode can generate”, head of the State Atomic Directorate said. He also noted that the Armenian NPP is not the only station to which the nuclear fuel is supplied by air. He said that that the Bilibini atomic station (Russia, Chukotka) is provided with nuclear fuel in the same way. The responsibility for the nuclear fuel delivery lies on the Russian party what is fixed not only in bilateral but also in international agreements”, he said.