Tuesday, August 21, 2007, #159 (1426)

New commission looks at nuclear power plant for Georgia

A state commission was set up August 16 to look into building a nuclear power plant, announced Minister of Energy Nika Gilauri.

"This commission will study all positive and negative factors of construction of a nuclear power station in Georgia," promised Minister of Energy Nika Gilauri. Gilauri will head the commission.

The minister did not give any timelines.

News of a possible nuclear power plant in Georgia broke in mid-June, following President Mikheil Saakashvili's Paris meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Reportedly, the French company Areva is consulting with the Georgian government.

Tbilisi officials say it's far too early to talk about a concrete project; it's only a feasibility study at the moment, they emphasize. Any project would depend on several factors-including Armenia, which now operates the South Caucasus's sole, aging nuclear power plant.

"Armenia has a nuclear reactor. The talk is about replacing the old reactor with a new one. Now there is a discussion over whether a new reactor will be placed in Georgia. This depends on Armenia's decision," Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli said in June.


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