The possibility of selling a 49% stake in the Akkuyu nuclear power plant project is provided for in the intergovernmental agreement for the implementation of the project, concluded in 2010. This was stated to TASS by the state corporation „Rosatom“, commenting on the report by the agency Bloomberg that „Rosatom“ is negotiating the sale of a stake in the Akkuyu nuclear power plant to foreign investors.
„The negotiation process continues, we are discussing options with potential partners, including Turkish companies. According to the terms of the same intergovernmental agreement, the selection of potential partners requires mandatory approval from the Turkish side,“ they said „Rosatom“.
Bloomberg earlier reported, citing Anton Dedusenko, chairman of the board of directors of „Akkuyu Nuclear“ (a Rosatom subsidiary), that „Rosatom“ is negotiating the sale of a 49% stake in a $25 billion power plant it is building in Turkey to Turkish and foreign investors.
„The project has faced delays and financing problems due to foreign banks' fear of U.S. sanctions while alternative payment methods, including natural gas swaps, are being explored,“ the agency wrote. The first unit at the facility, with a capacity of 4.8 gigawatts, is currently being tested and is expected to start generating electricity in 2026. „The closer we are "The closer to the first power unit producing electricity, the more investors come," the agency quoted Dedusenko as saying.
A previous attempt to sell shares failed in 2018, when a consortium of Turkish companies - Cengiz Holding AS, Kolin Insaat Turizm Sanayi ve Ticaret AS and Kalyon Insaat Sanayi ve Ticaret AS - abandoned the deal, citing the inability to reach an agreement on commercial terms.
The Akkuyu NPP is the first nuclear power plant in the Republic of Turkey, built by the state corporation Rosatom. The Akkuyu NPP project includes four power units with VVER generation 3+ reactors, designed according to a Russian project. The capacity of each power unit of the NPP will be 1,200 MW. The construction of the Akkuyu NPP is the first project in the global nuclear industry to be implemented based on the financial and organizational model “build-own-operate".