The photo is sourced from atommedia.online
“Work on the nuclear island is going according to plan. This year, we will conduct a thorough check on all systems in the primary circuit, conduct hydraulic tests, and load fuel simulators directly into the reactor. We’re doing everything we can to ensure that the first unit of the Akkuyu NPP becomes part of the energy system of the Republic of Türkiye next year. We make every effort to achieve that jointly with Turkish companies. A large number of them are present here, and they undoubtedly demonstrate great professionalism and readiness,” Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev is quoted as saying by the State Corporation after his visit to the NPP construction site.
The Akkuyu NPP will become the first nuclear power plant in Turkey’s history. The facility will consist of four power units with an aggregate net capacity of 4.46 gigawatts (GW), which, once operational, will be able to supply 10% of Turkey’s electricity needs. The launch of the NPP will make it possible to increase the role of low-carbon sources, the total share of which (including hydroelectric power plants) in Turkey’s energy mix stood at 42% in 2023. A key role in Turkey’s power supply system continues to be played by thermal power plants, including coal-, gas- and fuel oil-fired ones, which jointly provided 58% of the country’s power output in 2023.
After completing the construction of the Akkuyu NPP, Turkey plans to implement major nuclear projects in Sinop and Thrace, said Alparslan Bayraktar, Turkey’s Energy Minister, during a panel session at ATOMEXPO 2024. “By 2035, we plan to reach 7.2 GW in capacity, and we plan to increase this capacity to 20 GW by 2050. To achieve that, we will need to build four reactors in Sinop and another four in Thrace, after which we will probably turn our attention to small modular reactors, which are essential to achieving further decarbonisation of the Turkish economy,” the minister noted.
