Türkiye to initiate trial production at Akkuyu in 2025: Turkish energy min.

Ankara aims to start trial production at Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), said the Turkish energy and natural resources minister on Thursday.

Türkiye plans to load the first fuel in its over 90% complete first reactor in 2025, marking the start of trial production, Alparslan Bayraktar said in an X post.

Construction of Akkuyu NPP’s four reactors progresses rapidly, he noted, adding that the completion of the First Reactor Turbine Plant Assembly marks another significant milestone in the plant’s commissioning process.

“By the end of 2028, we will gradually commission four reactors and meet 10% of our electricity needs in a carbon-neutral way,” he added.

Nuclear energy plays an important role in reaching Türkiye’s 2053 net zero emission target. To this end, the country plans to build nuclear power plants in two other locations after the first plant at Akkuyu.

An intergovernmental agreement was signed between Russia and Türkiye in May 2010 for Akkuyu NPP that will consist of four VVER-1200 power units with a total installed capacity of 4,800 megawatts. The foundation for the plant was laid in 2018 and it is expected to be finished in seven years, according to the contract.

• Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP)
• Russia
• Turkiye