Turkey continues the consultations with “Rosatom” on the issue of increasing power generation capacities by building new nuclear power plants. This was stated by the Minister of Energy of Turkey, Alparslan Bayraktar, after his visit to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which takes place between June 5 and 8, TASS reported, quoted by BTA.
"Turkey aims to have a total of 12 reactors with a total generating capacity of 15,000 megawatts by 2050. On this issue, we are holding consultations with the Russian state corporation Rosatom," said Bayraktar, quoted by NTV television. Bayraktar pointed out that “nuclear energy occupies an important place in Turkey's energy portfolio, as it allows the country to obtain clean energy and meet its needs”.
The Minister of Energy of Turkey noted that in the “Akkuyu“ intensive work is underway and about 30,000 people are currently actively working there to bring the plant's first reactor into operation.
Earlier, the general director of “Rosatom” Alexey Likhachov told journalists that the first power unit of the Akkuyu NPP will be released in 2025.
According to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the first power unit of the plant is 90 percent ready.
At the same time, Ankara is planning to acquire at least two more nuclear power plants with 4 reactors each, for which sites have already been determined in the northwestern part of Turkey, according to TASS. Negotiations and consultations on these projects are being conducted with Russia, China and South Korea, the agency notes.
NPP “Akkuyu“ is the first nuclear power plant in Turkey. It is being built by the Russian state corporation "Rosatom". The project “Akkuyu“ includes four power units with generation III+ VVER reactors designed in Russia. The capacity of each power unit will be 1200 MW.
After talks within the framework of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum with the Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of Russia Alexander Kozlov, the Turkish Minister of Energy Alparslan Bayraktar also announced that Turkey and Russia plan to establish an energy and mining exchange in Istanbul.