Türkiye to join countries producing energy from nuclear sources soon

The construction of Türkiye’s first nuclear power plant, the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), is now in its final phase. The commissioning of the first unit is scheduled for this year, which will put Türkiye among the countries producing energy from nuclear sources.

The project began with laying the foundation of its first unit five years ago. Since then, the foundation of all power plant units has been applied.

The Akkuyu NPP is being built in the Büyükeceli region of the Gülnar district of southern Mersin province as part of an intergovernmental agreement signed between Türkiye and Russia on May 12, 2010.

The foundation of the first unit was laid at a ceremony attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin via video conference. The full-scale construction work began on April 3, 2018.

The construction work at Akkuyu NPP, one of Türkiye’s most significant investments, has gained momentum with the start of the construction of its second unit on April 8, 2020.

The project has now entered its most intensive phase, with the laying of the foundation of the fourth and last unit on July 21, 2022, after the first concrete was poured for the third power unit on March 10, 2021, at a ceremony also attended by Erdoğan and Putin via video conference.

All four units’ construction and assembly work continues to progress, making Akkuyu NPP one of the world’s largest nuclear power plant construction sites.

As the countdown for the commissioning of the first unit at Akkuyu NPP continues, the arrival of fresh nuclear fuel at the facility on April 27 is expected to mark a critical phase in the project. With this event, the plant is anticipated to become a “nuclear facility.”

The power plant’s first unit, which comprises four 1200 megawatt VVER-1200 type “III+” generation reactors and has a total installed power of 4,800 megawatts, is scheduled to be commissioned this year, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the Republic.

Türkiye has been gradually advancing toward its 2023 target in its fifty-year-long nuclear energy journey.

The commissioning of the first unit at Akkuyu NPP is expected to enable the country to become one of the countries that produce energy from nuclear sources by connecting the electricity generated by the plant to its network for the first time in its history.

Meanwhile, Erdoğan said earlier that Putin might travel to Türkiye on April 27 to attend the inauguration ceremony of the NPP.

He noted Putin might either travel to Mersin in person or attend via teleconference.

The project also aims to make the other three units will be operational by the end of 2026, one year apart.

The power plant, which will produce approximately 35 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually when total capacity is activated, is expected to meet 10% of Türkiye’s electricity demand alone.

The power plant, which can produce electricity continuously with zero emissions, without emitting harmful greenhouse gases to the environment, also stands out with its contribution to Türkiye’s “2053 net zero emissions” target.

The operational life of Akkuyu NPP, planned to be 60 years, can be extended for another 20 years.

The Akkuyu NPP, whose employment rate varies according to the project stages, is aimed to employ 4,000 people during the operation period.