but Turkey plans to launch the first power unit
Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said that despite emerging problems and obstacles, the first power unit of the Akkuyu NPP they still plan to put it into operation in 2024.
«Turkey has been pursuing nuclear energy goals since the 1950s. Under the leadership of our President Tayyip Erdogan, the most important steps have been taken in this area. Look at the largest nuclear construction site in the world. On "Akkuyu" 30 thousand people are employed. We want the first reactor to be commissioned this year. However, numerous open, direct and behind-the-scenes steps are being taken to prevent the station from being built, — said Alparslan Bayraktar.
He did not specify what steps are being taken against the construction of the station, but assured that Turkey «continues work on its construction with determination». The Energy Minister added that Turkey “will in the shortest possible time become a country that produces and uses energy from renewable, indigenous and nuclear resources.” This «will revolutionize the Turkish energy sector and allow the country to enter a new» energy era».
At the beginning of the year, Alparslan Bayraktar clarified that so far the builders are targeting the end of October, when Turkey celebrates a national holiday — Republic Day: &29 October — this is our goal, the start of electricity production at nuclear power plants on the 101st anniversary of the proclamation of the republic will be very significant».
Recall that Akkuyu NPP is being created by the Russian state corporation Rosatom. This is the first nuclear power plant in Turkey and the largest nuclear construction project in the world at the moment. The project includes four power units with Russian-designed VVER generation III+ reactors. The capacity of each nuclear power plant unit will be 1.2 thousand MW. This is the world's first nuclear power plant implemented using the Build-Own-Operate model.