Russian Deputy PM Novak: First Akkuyu NPP power unit could be put into operation within year

MOSCOW. June 30 (Interfax) - The first power unit of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Turkey could be put into operation within this year, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told the Anadolu news agency.

"I believe that the plant's first power unit will be put into operation soon, in the course of the year," Novak said on Saturday.

The economic feasibility of building another NPP is currently being considered, he said. Russia will be glad to participate in the implementation of this project, he said.

Rosatom is building Turkey's first nuclear power plant, Akkuyu, in Mersin province. The station will consist of four power units with a capacity of 1200 MW each. Earlier it was reported that Turkey is considering two more nuclear power plant construction projects in the provinces of Sinop and Trakia.

In October 2024, Novak said Russia and Turkey were assessing how Siemens's failure to deliver equipment for the Akkuyu NPP could influence the project schedule.

"We've found ourselves in a situation where, despite a contract concluded, a supplier from a Western country, namely the Siemens company from Germany, breached its contractual obligations on supplying certain equipment items," Novak said at the time.

Rosatom and its Turkish partners promptly made adjustments and found a solution to the problem by buying the necessary equipment from friendly countries, he said.

Rosatom CEO Likhachev said in early 2025 that Rosatom was planning to sue Siemens over its failure to supply equipment to the Akkuyu NPP.