Construction of the second unit at the Akkuyu nuclear power plant in Turkey could begin in the first quarter of 2020, Alexei Likhachev, Director General of the Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom told reporters on 30 December.
"Work [on site] is underway; now we are already in working mode. Maybe we will hold an official ceremony for pouring concrete by March." Likhachev said. Concrete pouring for unit 1 took place in the spring of 2018, and the basemat was completed in March 2019.
The Akkuyu project includes four power units with Russian generation 3+ VVER-1200 reactors and is being constructed according to a build-own-operate model under Russian management. The project cost is about $20 billion. The start of the first unit is planned for completion in 2023, with a further unit launched every year.
Likhachev also announced that the main contractor for the construction of Akkuyu NPP, Titan-2 (part of Rosatom) and Turkish private investment construction company Ictas had created a joint venture for the construction of the plant. “This alliance means we can expect successful implementation of the project," he added.
The intergovernmental agreement between Russia and Turkey on cooperation in the construction and operation of the Akkuyu NPP in Mersin province was signed in 2010.
Akkuyu Nuclear, the Rosatom subsidiary responsible for the project was granted a licence in August 2019, allowing work to begin on the second reactor. The Akkuyu NPP is currently entirely funded by Russia, but in future Russian companies are expected to hold a 51% stake alongside third-party investors.
Photo: Akkuyu 1 one year after construction began (Credit: Rosatom)
