Turkish minister: Akkuyu nuclear plant first unit 99% complete

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar confirmed plans to launch the first unit of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in 2026.

Bayraktar announced that Türkiye aims to begin energy production at Akkuyu and gradually operate all four reactors to cover 10% of electricity needs, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

“Our goal is to generate energy from the first reactor within this year and to gradually commission the other reactors as well. When all four reactors are commissioned, we will meet 10% of our electricity needs from there,” Bayraktar emphasised, adding that construction of the first Akkuyu unit is 99% complete.

Speaking about plans for two additional nuclear plants in Sinop and Thrace, Bayraktar said these projects will make Turkey “a country with significant nuclear capacity.”

Akkuyu is Türkiye’s first nuclear power plant and is being built by the state corporation Rosatom. The project includes four units with Russian-designed VVER-1200 Generation 3+ reactors. The Akkuyu project is the first in the global nuclear industry to be implemented under a Build-Own-Operate model.

By Jeyhun Aghazada