US-Türkiye nuclear pact paves way for next-generation reactors

Türkiye and the United States have signed an agreement to deepen cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, with a joint study to assess the potential deployment of advanced reactor technologies in Türkiye.

The agreement was signed in New York in the presence of Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, TRT Haber reports.

Under the deal, Turkish company TÜNAŞ and the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) will jointly examine the feasibility of deploying small modular reactors (SMRs) and five fourth-generation reactor technologies in Türkiye.

The study will cover a broad range of technical and commercial considerations, including reactor specifications, safety requirements, licensing procedures, costs, supply chains and potential financing models.

The assessment is expected to take at least one year and will cost approximately $2 million, with the funding to be provided by the US side.

Bayraktar said the study would help Türkiye identify the nuclear technologies best suited to its needs and support efforts to diversify the country’s energy mix.

By Vafa Guliyeva