Rosatom, Turkey discuss Akkuyu NPP project's implementation status, financing issues
MOSCOW. Aug 1 (Interfax) - Rosatom state corporation, several relevant Turkish government agencies, and key contracting organizations have held a meeting to discuss the implementation status and financing arrangements for the Akkuyu nuclear power plant project, Rosatom said.
The discussions also covered licensing progress, training of operational personnel, physical protection measures and other related topics, it said.
"The project is being implemented under changing external conditions. In close cooperation with the Turkish side, we are working to resolve issues around ensuring uninterrupted financing of the project while continuing to implement the site work schedule," JSC Akkuyu Nuclear Board Chairman Anton Dedusenko was quoted as saying.
"During the site visit, we received all the necessary information about the project's progress. The Akkuyu NPP project is being implemented in constant coordination among all participating parties," Turkish Deputy Energy Minister Zafer Demircan was quoted as saying.
Following the meeting, the parties agreed to work together to ensure the project proceeds according to the agreed schedule, Rosatom said.
Rosatom is constructing Turkey's first nuclear power plant, Akkuyu, in Mersin province. The NPP will consist of four power units with a capacity of 1200 MW each.
The project has faced several challenges, in particular due to the failure of German company Siemens to deliver equipment for the NPP. "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," Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said in the autumn of 2024.
Rosatom, together with its Turkish partners, promptly took all necessary corrective measures, with alternative equipment procured from friendly countries, Novak said. In early 2025, Rosatom head Alexei Likhachev said that the state corporation planned to bring legal claims against Siemens over the undelivered equipment for the Akkuyu NPP.
In addition, Rosatom is working on resolving financing issues that arose, among other things, due to the blocking of significant funds by third-party interference, the corporation said in late July. At the same time, workers from one of the subcontracting companies at the NPP construction site staged a protest over delayed wages. Rosatom is involved in resolving the situation, the company said.
