Putin announced plans to launch the first power unit of the Akkuyu NPP in Turkey in 2024.
Moscow. September 4. INTERFAX.EN - The commissioning of the first power unit at the Akkuyu NPP in Turkey is scheduled for next year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
"Next year, everything is going according to plan, we will launch the first block," he said. "There are interesting possible options for continuing our cooperation," Putin added.
As Erdogan noted in turn regarding Turkey's planned project of a second nuclear power plant in Sinop, "I believe that there will be such a step between us - regarding the construction of a new nuclear power plant."
Rosatom State Corporation is building Akkuyu NPP in Turkey according to the BOO scheme, when the Russian side is the owner of a foreign NPP. Rosatom companies now own almost 100% in the capital of Akkuyu Nuclear.
The station will consist of four power units with a capacity of 1200 MW each. The pouring of the first concrete for the first unit of the Akkuyu NPP took place on April 3, 2018. Earlier it was assumed that it would be put into operation this year, which marks the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey. Thus, it was reported that Rosatom plans to complete general construction installation work at the NPP site in the third quarter of 2023 and proceed to commissioning and test equipment and fuel in the reactor for several months.
Last year, the project underwent changes in the composition of its participants from Turkey, and a number of Turkish media subsequently wrote about problems at the site. In September last year, at a similar meeting, it was reported that the participants in the process had agreed and all issues were closed.
As reported, Turkey is also considering construction projects for two more nuclear power plants - in the provinces of Sinop and Trakia. As the Turkish Anadolu agency reported in June with reference to the head of the department of the Turkish Ministry of Energy, Salih Sary, the necessary studies have been completed at the site of the second NPP, negotiations are underway with South Korea and the Russian Federation. The construction of the third is being discussed with China, Sary said. In addition, Turkey is in close contact with American, British and French companies on small modular reactors. A place for the fourth nuclear power plant is being determined, a Turkish official said.
