First Turkish nuclear power plant Akkuyu to receive "nuclear power facility" status PHOTO

Türkiye's first nuclear power plant (NPP), Akkuyu, will receive the status of a nuclear power facility on April 27.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will take part in the nuclear fuel delivery ceremony on April 27 via video link, Anadolu informs.

The first power unit of the station will be put into operation within a year after the necessary commissioning and approval by the Turkish Atomic Energy Control Authority.

An agreement on cooperation between the governments of Türkiye and Russia, which provides for the construction of the Akkuyu NPP on the southern coast of Türkiye, was signed on May 12, 2010.

The Akkuyu NPP is being built in the southern Gulnar region under a Russian project, which includes the construction and commissioning of four power units with VVER-1200 reactors with a total capacity of 4,800 MW.

The general customer, project investor, and owner of the station after launch is "Akkuyu Nükleer Anonim Şirketi" JSC. The general designer of the plant is the Russian OJSC Atomenergoproekt. The station is being built according to the BOO (build-own-operate) scheme. The project provides for the maximum participation of Turkish companies in construction and installation works, as well as companies from other countries.

The power plant, after commissioning, plans to generate 35 billion kWh of electricity per year, which will cover 10 percent of Türkiye's total energy needs.

The estimated lifespan of the Akkuyu NPP is 60 years, which can subsequently be extended for another 20 years based on the results of monitoring and inspections. The contribution of the Akkuyu NPP to the economic development of Türkiye is estimated at $50 billion.