Testing is under way on the first unit of Turkey’s Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, marking a key stage in the project’s development. The unit is expected to begin generating electricity by the end of 2026, according to a report by Turkish newspaper Sabah.
Work continues on remaining units
Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said construction was continuing on the plant’s other three units. Plans for a data centre linked to the third and fourth units are also under consideration.
The facility will have four reactors, each with a capacity of 1,200 megawatts. Once completed, it is expected to produce about 35 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, covering nearly 10% of Turkey’s electricity needs. This is roughly equivalent to Istanbul’s total consumption.
Cost exceeds initial budget
About 23,000 people are employed at the construction site, while more than 400 Turkish companies are involved in the project.
Bayraktar said the cost had exceeded the initial budget of $20 billion.
Akkuyu is being built by Russian state-owned company Rosatom. The plant is expected to operate for 60 years, with the option of extending its lifespan by a further 20 years.
Turkey plans further reactors
Ankara is also planning to build eight additional reactors and is holding talks with Russia, China, South Korea and Canada over new nuclear energy projects.
Source: CNA
