Important Milestone in Turkey's Akkuyu NPP Construction: Second Power Unit Dome Installed

Another strategic milestone has been completed at the construction site of the Akkuyu NPP, Turkey's first nuclear power plant. The dome of the inner containment shell for the second power unit, being built by the Russian state corporation Rosatom, has been installed in its design position. This process is considered one of the most complex and responsible operations in the construction of the reactor building. This is reported by Ixbt.com news reports.

According to the Akkuyu Nuclear press service, the lifting and placement of the dome were carried out using a special heavy-duty crawler crane. The entire operation took approximately seven hours, during which the massive structure was positioned with millimeter precision. The dome itself is hemispherical and consists of 15 assembly sections made of special structural steel.

Technical Complexity and Safety Measures

The preparation of this structure was carried out directly near the power unit building and took a total of four months. According to Sergey Butskikh, CEO of Akkuyu Nuclear JSC, the installation of the inner containment shell was the final step in forming the hermetic volume of the reactor compartment. Now, builders will begin welding the dome to the cylindrical part of the shell.

The Akkuyu NPP project is distinguished by its compliance with the highest safety standards. The reactor buildings will have a double-layered containment shell:

• Inner containment shell — the plant's localization safety system, ensuring the stability of the reactor compartment;
• Outer containment shell — constructed from reinforced concrete and designed to withstand any extreme external impacts, including natural disasters.

Regional Significance and Future Plans

This project is expected to play a decisive role in ensuring Turkey's energy independence. The Akkuyu NPP will consist of four power units, each equipped with VVER-1200 reactors of Generation 3+ based on Russian design. Each unit has a capacity of 1200 MW, which will collectively cover a significant portion of the country's electricity needs.

For reference, through this project, Turkey is joining the ranks of the world's developed nuclear energy nations. Company representatives stated that the first power unit of the plant is planned to be commissioned by the end of 2026. Currently, construction and installation work is progressing rapidly in parallel across all four units.

Turkey's experience is also of interest to Uzbekistan, as the development of nuclear energy is on the agenda in our region. The technological solutions and safety systems in the Akkuyu project provide a clear idea of how modern NPPs should be.