‘Commissioning underway for 1st reactor unit of Akkuyu plant’

ISTANBUL

The commissioning process has begun for the first unit of Türkiye's first nuclear power plant (NPP), Akkuyu, the project's top executive has told state-run Anadolu Agency.

"Despite some challenges, everything is progressing according to schedule," said Anton Dedusenko, chairman of the Board of Directors of Akkuyu Nuclear Joint Stock Company, speaking on the sidelines of the 11th Nuclear Power Plants Summit in Istanbul.

"We plan to carry out preparatory work this year to connect the first unit's switchyard to the electrical transmission system," added Dedusenko, who is also the CEO of Rusatom Energy International.

Dedusenko said the general construction of the 1,200-megawatt Unit 1 is complete and that trial operations are underway, calling the start-up phase "a very important period for a nuclear power unit."

Regarding Rosatom's negotiations for the construction of a second nuclear plant in Türkiye's Black Sea province of Sinop, Dedusenko said, "Negotiations with our partners in Türkiye have been ongoing for several years."

"We have made significant progress with our Turkish partners. As part of this process, we are ready to present technical and economic feasibility studies this year, but the final decision always rests with the Turkish side. These discussions are currently ongoing," he added.

Each of Akkuyu's four reactors is scheduled to start operation one year apart. At full power, the plant is expected to cover about 10 percent of Türkiye's electricity demand and operate for at least 60 years, with a possible 20-year extension.

Alongside Akkuyu, Ankara plans additional nuclear facilities in Sinop and the northwestern Thrace region, targeting 20,000 megawatts of installed nuclear capacity by 2050.