Rosatom begins start-up and commissioning at first unit of Akkuyu NPP in Turkey

MOSCOW. April 9 (Interfax) - The Rosatom State Corporation has commenced start-up and commissioning works at Unit 1 of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant under construction in Turkey, the nuclear industry media center said.

"On the 'nuclear island' work is going according to plan. This year we will thoroughly check all systems including the primary circuit, conduct hydraulic tests, and load fuel simulators directly into the reactor. We are doing everything to ensure that next year the first unit of Akkuyu NPP becomes part of Turkey's energy system," Rosatom head Alexei Likhachev was quoted as saying.

The media center said start-up and commissioning was the "concluding stage of the NPP unit's construction" involving "adjustment, monitoring and testing to ensure the plant's reliability and safety."

Rosatom is building Turkey's first nuclear power plant, Akkuyu, in Mersin province. The station will consist of four power units, each with a capacity of 1200 MW. The cost of the NPP construction project is about $22 billion.

Earlier it was reported that Turkey is considering projects for the construction of two additional nuclear power plants in the provinces of Sinop and Thrace. Rosatom's Likhachev said on the sidelines of Russian Energy Week 2023 that the company is ready to offer its small nuclear power plants to Turkey.

Turkey plans to reach an understanding soon with the partners with which the country will construct the two new nuclear power plants, Turkey's Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said at the end of March. Bayraktar said that Turkey has progressed seriously in developing the Sinop NPP project, and talks are ongoing with Rosatom and other interested parties.