The live event was broadcast directly from the NPP construction site
The Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant invited everyone who wished to see the construction site. During the live broadcast, management of Akkuyu Nuclear spoke about the implementation of the project and answered questions from the audience. Young Turkish engineers showed important facilities of Akkuyu NPP including the turbine hall of Power Unit 1, the fresh nuclear fuel storage facility, and a state-of-the-art training center.
The broadcast, which was joined by residents of the largest Turkish cities and provinces, took place in a specially arranged studio on the construction site, with a panoramic view of the Akkuyu NPP Power Unit 1 reactor building. The live broadcast was hosted by the famous Turkish TV presenter Canan Yener Reçber.
Akkuyu Nuclear JSC Chief Executive Officer Anastasia Zoteeva addressed the audience with a welcoming speech and noted that 2023 was a record year for the number of significant events at the project. “The Akkuyu NPP site has received the status of a nuclear power facility. In April this year, we brought the first batch of nuclear fuel to the Republic of Türkiye. It is reliably placed in a specialized storage and awaits loading into the reactor of the first power unit. A month ago, when the centenary function of the Republic of Türkiye took place, we opened a new page in the history of Akkuyu NPP viz. we commissioned the first nuclear industry training center in Türkiye. All the staff of nuclear power plant from the low-level operator to the unit shift supervisor shall undergo training and advanced training there. I signed the order on the date historical for Türkiye viz. October 29. Today, in the new century, practical training on nuclear facility procedures with the use of the most modern technologies will be conducted here, in the Republic of Türkiye,” noted Anastasia Zoteeva.
Akkuyu Nuclear JSC Deputy Director for Construction of the NPP under Construction Dmitry Romanets answered questions from the audience on air. He spoke about key construction events. Dmitry Romanets paid special attention to the progress of work at the Akkuyu NPP Power Unit 1, where start-up and adjustment are planned to commence before the end of the year. He noted that the startup of a power unit was a multi-stage operation, with each stage consisting of a number of different tests and process procedures to ensure compliance with requirements for nuclear safety and reliable operation of the power plant for 60 years, with an extension for another 20 years. Loading of fuel and generation of the first kilowatt-hours of electricity at the NPP Unit 1 is planned to take place in 2024.
Young Turkish nuclear engineers conducted a virtual tour of the Akkuyu NPP site. Together with them, the audience visited important facilities under construction, had a chance to learn about peculiarities of the processes and to get acquainted with the unique nuclear industry equipment. Reactor Compartment Operator Hussein Karabelen spoke about the first power unit turbine hall, where the turbine plant will be located. Akkuyu Nuclear JSC Nuclear Safety Department Expert on Physical Calculations Mehmet Türütoglu showed the fresh fuel storage facility. Chemical Analysis Expert Beyza Kurguluş Ozturk conducted a tour of the training center.
During the live broadcast, the audience received answers to their questions including those regarding the significance of the project in terms of ecology: nuclear power plants produce no harmful emissions into the environment. NPPs are one of the most environmentally friendly facilities for electricity generation. At nuclear power plants there are no harmful substance combustion processes that might cause generation of greenhouse gases. According to expert estimates, during the operation of Akkuyu NPP, Turkey will prevent the emission of ca. 18 million tons of CO2 annually.
A resident of Sinop Province, where the construction of Turkey's second nuclear power plant is planned, asked what a nuclear power plant would bring to the region and to the local residents, apart from being a stable source of electricity. Dmitry Romanets said that, along with the construction of Akkuyu NPP, the construction region was also developing. In Mersin Province, active construction of road tunnels and highways is underway. A boom in housing construction is taking place; thousands of additional jobs are being created for a long period of time. To provide those coming to the region with everything they need, houses are being built, and the entire infrastructure of the region is being developed including education and healthcare, agriculture and mechanical engineering, trade and hospitality business, and scientific activities. From the practice of operating NPPs in Russia and other countries, it is known that many nuclear power plants are centers of industrial tourism.
The full recording of the online broadcast of the Akkuyu NPP Doors Open Day in Turkish, Russian and English will be available on the official YouTube channel of Akkuyu Nuclear.
For reference:
Akkuyu NPP is the first nuclear power plant in the Republic of Türkiye, which is being built by Rosatom State Corporation of Russia. The Akkuyu NPP project includes four power units equipped with Generation III+ VVER reactors of Russian design. The capacity of each NPP power unit will be 1200 MW. Akkuyu NPP is the first project in the global nuclear industry being implemented according to the Build-Own-Operate model.
According to the terms and conditions of the Inter-Governmental Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey, the NPP's first power unit is supposed to be commissioned within seven years after obtaining all construction authorizations. Taking into account that the construction license for Power Unit 1 was obtained in 2018, the deadline is 2025. At the same time, the project stakeholders are making their best efforts to ensure readiness for start-up and adjustment activities at Power Unit 1 in 2023, a jubilee year for the Republic of Türkiye.
Russia continues a productive dialog with its foreign colleagues, developing cooperation with countries from all over the world and actively forming a multipolar system of international relations. The implementation of major foreign energy projects also continues. Rosatom and its entities are actively involved in this activity.