Armenian NPP Unit 2 (Metsamor 2)

Metsamor 2 is a VVER-440 PWR at the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant, shut in March 1989 after the Spitak earthquake and restarted in November 1995 amid a severe energy crisis after 6.5 years offline. It remains Armenia's only operating reactor.

Background: Palisades fuel loading: Holtec restart timeline and what comes next · NRC reactor licensing process, explained

Current state

Notes

Historical precedent. Net capacity 416 MWe per WNA (2026, after upgrades); original 376 MWe net. Unit 1 remains shut and is being decommissioned. restarted is reactor restart (NucNet); grid connection followed in November 1995.

Timeline

• 1989-03-18 — Unit 2 was shut down under a USSR Council of Ministers decision after the 1988 Spitak earthquake. (source)
• 1993 — Armenia's government decided to restart unit 2 due to a severe energy crisis. (source)
• 1995-10-26 — Unit 2 was restarted after a shutdown of more than six years. (source)
• 1995-11 — Unit 2 was reconnected to the grid. (source)

The timeline is append-only: corrections are added as new entries. Stated targets appear in the current-state table, never as milestones.

Related units

• Kuosheng Unit 1 (Second Nuclear Power Plant) Proposed · Taiwan
• Kuosheng Unit 2 (Second Nuclear Power Plant) Proposed · Taiwan
• Maanshan Unit 1 (Third Nuclear Power Plant) Under review · Taiwan
• Maanshan Unit 2 (Third Nuclear Power Plant) Under review · Taiwan

See all 45 units in the Nuclear Plant Restarts Tracker →

Sources

1. History — Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (primary), checked 2026-10-11
2. Nuclear Power in Armenia — World Nuclear Association, checked 2026-10-11
3. Armenian Power Reactor Restarts after 6-year Break — NucNet, checked 2026-10-11