Some 70% of the equipment and systems installed at unit 1 of the Akkuyu NPP under construction in Türkiye have already undergone commissioning, according to Denis Sesemin, Director for Construction & Organisation of Production at project company Akkuyu Nukleer. He noted that the process of commissioning the power unit is divided into four parts, the first of which is commissioning followed by individual tests. “We are preparing for testing and already have a test programme”, he added. “For the most important systems, individual tests are already underway.

Meanwhile, testing has been completed by Russia’s Tekhnoatom of split systems and multi-zone air conditioning systems for Akkuyu 1. Technical conditions for the systems were developed by Atomenergoprojekt and project company Akkuyu Nukleer.

Akkuyu, Türkiye’s first NPP, will eventually host four Russian-designed VVER-1200 reactors. The pouring of first concrete for unit 1 took place in April 2018, for unit 2 in June 2020, for unit 3 in March 2021, and for unit 4 in July 2022. Rosatom is constructing the reactors according to a build-own-operate model. Unit 1 is expected to begin operation in 2025.