Turkey on the Verge of Nuclear Energy: First Unit of Akkuyu NPP Completed

Turkey is closer than ever to launching its first nuclear power plant in history. Russia's state corporation Rosatom announced that construction work on the first power unit of the Akkuyu NPP has been fully completed. This event marks the beginning of a new era for Turkey's energy system and is considered a strategic step toward ensuring the country's energy independence. This is reported by Ixbt.com news says.

According to Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom, the project has now entered the final stage before commissioning. Cold hydraulic tests of the reactor equipment have begun in the first power unit. This process is expected to be completed in the coming weeks, after which the plant will move to commissioning and adjustment operations.

Technological Preparation and Testing

To date, a number of important technological tasks have been successfully completed in the unit. In particular, the reactor assembly work has been finalized, and simulators of heat-releasing elements have been loaded into it. Additionally, the protective piping block and the upper part of the reactor have been installed, bringing the device to full readiness for cold and hot testing processes.

Likhachev compared the current state of the project to the final hundred meters of a marathon. He emphasized that all major construction and installation works are behind them, and the main focus will now be on verifying the safety and stability of the systems. This stage will serve as the foundation for the plant's safe operation for decades to come.

Personnel Training and Project Scope

The process of forming and training personnel to manage the plant is also being carried out in parallel. According to ixbt.com, a staff of 1,930 people has been formed to service the first power unit. Notably, more than 40 percent of the workforce consists of Turkish citizens, indicating the creation of new high-tech jobs in the country.

The Akkuyu NPP project includes four power units, each with a capacity of 1200 MW. It features VVER reactors of Generation III+, developed by Russia. This technology is distinguished by its full compliance with modern safety standards.

The project is being implemented based on the Build-Own-Operate model. This means that Rosatom not only builds the plant but also retains the right to own and operate it in the future. For Turkey, this project is not only a source of electricity but also an important factor in becoming an energy hub in the region.