The first power unit of the Akkuyu NPP, which is being built in the Mersin province, is 95% ready and will be launched in 2026. This was announced by the head of the Turkish Ministry of Energy Alparslan Bayraktar on the Kanal 7 TV channel.
According to the minister, work on the first power unit was planned to be completed by April 2025.
But the delays were due to the pandemic and political obstacles in the purchase of some of the equipment.
Bayraktar stressed that the Turkish authorities and Rosatom are making every effort to prepare the first power unit for commissioning.
The 1,200 MW reactor that we are building at Akkuyu will provide almost as much electricity as a 5,000 MW solar power plant.
Nuclear energy is the focus of the Turkish authorities, the minister added. This year, a decision is planned to be made on the construction of two nuclear power plants in Sinop and in the Thrace region. Negotiations are currently underway with Russia, South Korea and the United States. Ankara wants the new stations to be built using advanced technologies and at a favorable price. The Turkish authorities are also interested in training local personnel to service nuclear power plants.
Read more materials on the topic:
- Rosatom invested another $9 billion in the Turkish Akkuyu NPP: nuclear construction continues
- Import substitution "on the fly": the launch of the Turkish Akkuyu NPP in 2026 was confirmed at Rosatom
- Sanctions and delays in the supply of equipment: the launch date of the first reactor of the Akkuyu NPP has been shifted to the right again
