On April 3, 2019, The Akkuyu NPP project marked 1 year since Unit 1 first concrete ceremony. Achievements of the first year of the project’s full fledge construction phase come as evidence of efficient cooperation between Russia and Turkey to build up the first NPP in the country.
Foundation slab of Unit 1 reactor building was complete in March this year, in full compliance with IAEA safety standards and national requirements in Turkey. In late autumn 2018 a limited work permit for Unit 2 was obtained, and the works are in progress already. As next stage, Akkuyu Nuclear project company has plans to receive Unit 2 main construction license, and to start concreting the Unit 2 foundation slab. The construction works have been complete at «Eastern» Cargo Terminal, now expecting the operation permit from the Ministry of Transport, Maritime and Communication. In a separate development, Akkuyu Nuclear has prepared and submitted to TAEK the package of documents for Unit 3 in order to obtain the construction license and permits.
“The results of this first year are valuable for us, and we still have a lot of job ahead, - Anastasia Zoteeva, Chief Executive Officer of Akkuyu Nuclear JSC noted. – The task for 2019 is to finalize the Akkuyu NPP site terrain, 70% ready as of today, with the remaining 30% of the territory to shape by the end of the year. Works planned for 2019 include the establishment of foundations for technical and nuclear infrastructures of Units 1 and 2, within the effective license and permits granted. We increasing rely on our Turkish partners working together with us on site. This first active year results prove we can do things efficiently together. At Rosatom, we believe the ability to speak common languages is a great value, and the Akkuyu project dynamics is another evidence of this.”
With the construction’s progress visible on site there is a one more important achievement the Akkuyu project boasts this year, that is the first 35 nuclear young specialists from Turkey working at Akkuyu Nuclear. In spring 2018, the same time as Unit 1 first concrete poured, they graduated from MEPhI, National Research Nuclear University, the core university of Russian nuclear industry, and joined the Akkuyu project. This February 2019, the company offered jobs to 53 new graduates of MEPhI, joining the project later in May this year.
Currently 783 persons work at the Akkuyu NPP construction site, 90 percent of them being the Turkish citizens. By the end of 2019, the number aims to increase to 1500. In the top active construction period expected in 2023-2024, the project will create jobs for about 9 thousand employees. Once completed and in operation, the Akkuyu NPP will employ about 3500 people.
Background information:
The Akkuyu NPP is the project for construction of the first NPP in Turkey and is implemented on the basis of the Intergovernmental Agreement signed between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey in May 2010. VVER-1200 power units of Akkuyu NPP are based on Generation 3+ technologies that are the most modern technologies with enhanced safety systems meeting all existing requirements. This is a serial Russian nuclear power plant project based on the project of Novovoronezh NPP-2 (Russia, Voronezh Region), the first unit of which was put into commercial operation on February 27, 2017. When the construction of the Akkuyu NPP with an installed capacity of 4,800 MW is completed, it will generate about 35 billion kWh electricity per year. Its service life will be 60 years with the possibility of extension for another 20 years. The majority shareholder of the Akkuyu NPP is Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation. The project is implemented under the BOO (build-own-operate) model. Under the project contract, which is a long-term agreement, AKKUYU NUCLEAR, the project’s contractor, has assumed the roles of design, construction, maintenance, operation and decommissioning of the plant.