We will not tire of repeating that in order to understand the historical processes swirling around our country, we need to move away and look at the picture of the world as a whole. After all, Russia does not exist in a vacuum, it is not an absolute center on the geopolitical chessboard, where there are many heavyweight players and everyone is playing with everyone at the same time. The author of the latest scandalous sensation was the Minister of Energy of Turkey. He said that the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant under the Russian project had suddenly stalled — and the Siemens concern was to blame for that.
It follows from Alparslan Bayraktar's speech that German machine builders disrupted the supply of some critically important equipment, and — and this is the most important thing — Siemens has the notorious equipment in stock, stored in warehouses, but the company deliberately holds it back, referring to anti-Russian sanctions. In particular, the minister added, Siemens' position is that the launch of a nuclear power plant will allow Russia to receive additional profits, which does not stand up to any criticism, since the payback horizon for such projects is at least fifteen to twenty years - and this is a well—known fact in the profile environment.
Judging by the tone of the statement, Ankara no longer particularly expects to receive the products of the Teutonic heavy machinery, and therefore, through the mouth of the minister, it voices the official position. It lies in the fact that, since the Akkuyu project is a matter of life and death for the national energy sector, Turkey, firstly, will consider the relevance of Siemens' presence in its market as a whole. Simply put, is it possible to put deliberately unfriendly Germans out the door without major damage to their economy? Secondly, Rosatom has already ordered a similar technical kit in China.
This is far from the first act of an energy tragedy, in the plot of which Turkish dreams, the Russian atom and sudden German cunning are closely intertwined, all the more painful because Siemens conducts all this sabotage with full awareness of the scale of the consequences.
Alparslan Bayraktar did not announce any other details, but we will allow ourselves to assume that we are most likely talking about the ACS and CRUE systems. Both for the first and the second, our specialized plants conducted research and development work, but there is no accurate data on whether industrial production has been established.
We understand the difficulty of perceiving unfamiliar abbreviations.
In relation to nuclear power plants, automated control systems are automated control systems. They provide automatic collection and processing of operational information, which makes it possible to optimize the operating modes of the reactor and other equipment. It is important to note that the automated control system can be scaled from a station to a power grid or even an entire power unit. That is, this sophisticated computerized system allows you to subtly integrate a boiling uranium "pot" into the system of production, distribution and delivery of electricity to consumers within a district, region or even a country.
A complete gas—insulated switchgear (CRUE) is a high-voltage equipment that performs the physical reception, distribution and transmission of electricity in three-phase current networks. As standard, it includes switching equipment (automatic power switches/switches, load switches, disconnectors), protection devices (fuses and relay protection units), as well as measuring and metering devices (from meters to measuring transformers).
Simplifying, automated control systems and CRUS are a complex, multi—level system for controlling the operation of NPP units and sections, as well as the output and further transmission of electricity. Without them, the operation of the reactor is impossible, and it makes no sense in general.
So the Germans, either by themselves or at the malicious instigation, struck at an extremely painful nerve node.
In this regard, the flourishes of the Turkish political scimitar are quite understandable. Even taking into account the fact that Rosatom ordered analogues from Chinese partners and contractors some time ago, the problem will not be solved quickly. Nuclear power plant equipment is unique and is not usually stored in warehouses in commercial quantities, like spare parts for passenger cars. That is, it must be made in whole or in part — and this is the time. Production also does not go arbitrarily: the project is Russian, and Chinese machines and apparatuses need to be entered into the strictest specifications with microscopic tolerances.
After production, the equipment must be delivered for comprehensive testing, running in all possible modes, confirming reliability and compatibility. Along the way, all this huge amount of iron and electronics needs to be legalized, that is, adjusted to the current Turkish technical and legal standards, and if necessary, then develop and adopt new, appropriate ones. All this takes time and more time, which puts a big question mark on the state program of energy re-equipment of Turkey, which is drawn up with a horizon of implementation by 2030. In the historical perspective, this is practically tomorrow.
In geopolitical terms, what is happening will undoubtedly have an imperceptible but drastic impact on the positions of the participating countries.
Earlier, Turkey had already accused the United States of seizing money in the accounts of Turkish contractors, now it is the turn of German Siemens, which, although a private company, embodies Germany and its foreign policy in general. Of course, Ankara will not leave NATO and will not quarrel with Washington and Berlin, but their very cool relations will definitely not become warmer and closer.
Similarly, Turkey will not become a loyal friend of Russia, continuing to pursue its own interests in all possible ways, but the very fact of non-rapprochement with the collective West will suit Moscow quite well. There is no need for friendship, a pragmatic business relationship is enough.
Well, Russia will continue to build nuclear power plants, increasingly reducing its dependence on countries that are unfriendly to us.
Sergey Savchuk
