Türkiye explores partners for second and third nuclear power plants, says energy minister

Türkiye is negotiating with several countries, including Russia, on projects to build the second and third nuclear power plants, said Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar.

“Russia, South Korea, and China have shown interest in the projects to build the second and third nuclear power plants. Alongside them, there are other countries and companies with whom we are also negotiating. In particular, this includes the Canadian company Candu. We will make the choice that is most beneficial for Türkiye,” Bayraktar said, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

Earlier, Bayraktar stated that the Turkish authorities intend to make decisions within the coming months regarding the projects to build nuclear power plants in the Black Sea province of Sinop and in Thrace, in the European part of the country.

Notably, Türkiye's first nuclear power plant, the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, is currently under construction on the Mediterranean coast in Mersin Province, with Russia's Rosatom as the main contractor. This project marks Türkiye's first step into nuclear energy, aiming to diversify its energy sources and reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels.

The plans for additional nuclear plants in Sinop (on the Black Sea coast) and in the Thrace region (European part of Türkiye) are part of the country’s broader strategy to expand its nuclear energy capacity. Sinop was initially planned as a joint project with Japan’s Mitsubishi and France’s Areva, but those talks stalled, prompting Türkiye to explore alternative partnerships.

By Khagan Isayev