Turkey’s first nuclear plant is well underway after reports confirmed that construction is proceeding as planned. The country’s first nuclear plan’s first reactor is scheduled to be operational by 2023 which is also the 100th anniversary of the Turkish republic. Around 7,00 people are working on the giant project, which, he said, is approaching its target as new equipment reaches the site and new facilities are being built.
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Construction of the third unit is scheduled to begin next spring, said Kirill Komarov, first deputy director-general for corporate development and international business of Rosatom, on Friday.”We had a limited permit for activities to non-nuclear work. Now we plan to hold concrete pouring for the third unit next spring,” Komarov said. An intergovernmental agreement was signed between Turkey and Russia in May 2010 for the Akkuyu NPP, the first nuclear plant in Turkey that will have four VVER-1200 power reactors with a total installed capacity of 4,800MW.
Sergey Butskikh, the first deputy general manager and construction works director at the Akkuyu Nuclear A.Ş commented that though it is an ambitious goal, it is still very achievable and that “Our work at the Akkuyu NPP this year has been on schedule,” Butskikh said. “Work continues in the areas of the first and second units as well as in almost all areas of the plant.” One of the most important events next year will be the process of placing and installing the reactor vessel in the designed position in the first unit, sited Butskikh. He also confirmed that the second unit’s reactor vessel also will be delivered to the site. “Construction work will continue on the third unit and excavations of the foundation pit will begin for the fourth unit,” Butskikh lastly stressed that safety was the top priority. “We are building a nuclear power plant where safety is the highest priority.”
