The construction of Turkey’s first nuclear power plant (NPP) Akkuyu might start in a month. This was stated by the Minister of economy of the Republic Nihat Zeybekci, reports Reuters.
As noted by the head of the Turkish authorities, the government has developed with Russia a “road map” for implementation of the NPP construction, the “project “Akkuyu” is being successfully implemented”.
“Now the construction of power units we have entered the final stage, and soon, within a month, will begin preparation of a pit for the reactor,” he said (quoted by TASS).
The parties expect that the first reactor plant with a total cost of $20 billion will be put into operation by 2023. Russia, said Zeybekci, stands for the acceleration of construction. Informed that the construction of “Akkuyu” can be completed by 2023, said in an interview with Anadolu Agency, the head of the energy Ministry of Russia Alexander Novak.
In 2010 Russia and Turkey signed a bilateral agreement on the construction of a nuclear power plant “Akkuyu”. In the period from November 2015 to August 2016, when relations between the two countries deteriorated after Turkey shot down a Russian Sukhoi su-24, implementation of the project was questioned. In October 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the construction of the NPP at a meeting at the world energy forum.
Nuclear power station “Akkuyu” is based on the scheme BOO (build-own-operate, build-own-operate. — ) when the owner of a foreign nuclear power plants is the Russian side. The company “Rosatom” now own almost 100% of the share capital of JSC “NPP “Akkuyu”, later 49% of the shares to be sold by the Russian side will remain 51%.
