Work has begun to assess changes in the properties of the metal of the reactor vessel of unit 2 at the Metsamor nuclear power plant in Armenia. The work is being carried out as part of preparations for extending operation of the VVER-440 unit for a further ten years.

Further extending the operating life of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant's second unit was identified as a priority during a meeting between Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev and Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Rosatom and the management of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant have signed an agreement to look into the possible building of new Russian-designed nuclear power units on the site of the current plant at Metsamor in Armenia.

A collaboration with Armenia has extended the service life of the country's only nuclear power plant, Metsamor, to 2026, said Russia's state nuclear company, Rosatom. "I am proud that we are participating in a project that helped make the Armenian nuclear power plant safer and more efficient," said Rosatom head Alexey Likhachev, attending a ceremony at the plant.

An International Atomic Energy Agency team of experts has completed a follow-up Safety Aspects of Long-Term Operation mission to unit 2 of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant at Metsamor. The team reviewed the improvements in preparedness, organisation and programmes related to long-term operation against the IAEA safety standards.

Armenia is preparing to launch a joint development in which a new nuclear power plant will support an expansion of copper mining in a collaboration between the country and Russian billionaire businessman Roman Trotsenko. The plan taking shape involves developing the Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine, which has recently been taken over by Trotsenko's GeoProMining and shared with the Armenian state.

A ten-day operation to anneal the reactor vessel of Armenia's nuclear power unit has been carried out. Restoring the strength of the component increases safety and forms part of a plan to extend its service life.

Armenia plans to extend the service life of its nuclear power unit in Metsamor beyond 2026 and has not abandoned plans to build a new unit, ARKA news agency reported on 14 January, following Cabinet approval of the government's new energy strategy to 2040.

Ashot Sargsyan, a lead engineer in the quality assurance department at Armenian Nuclear Power Plant, participated in the World Nuclear University Summer Institute of 2016, in Ottawa, Canada, as a World Association of Nuclear Operators’ scholarship winner.