Rosatom preparing to start operation of first power unit of Akkuyu NPP in Turkey, doing start-up and adjustment work

MOSCOW. Jan 19 (Interfax) - The Rosatom state company is preparing to start operation of the first power unit of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in Turkey, doing start-up and adjustment work and a comprehensive check of all systems, Rosatom said following a visit by the company's CEO Alexei Likhachev and Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar to a construction site.

The final control stage, cold and hot break-in, is expected to be implemented in the near future before the launch of the unit, the company said in a statement.

"Last year, the first unit was ready to some 99%, 65% of the start-up work was done. It can be said that we are now on the launch finishing line. Steady connection with the energy system of Turkey has been ensured. The task for this year is to perform all necessary procedures under the supervision of the Turkish and Russian regulators to prepare for the production of the first electrical power," Likhachev was quoted in the statement as saying.

"I am confident that Turkish contractors and all divisions of the Rosatom state corporation will do everything necessary to make this year the year when Turkey gets nuclear energy," Likhachev said after visiting the construction site.

Rosatom is building Turkey's first Akkuyu NPP in Mersin province. The NPP is to operate four 1,200 MW power units. According to earlier reports, the first power unit is due to be put into operation in 2026.