Türkiye will start operating the first reactor of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in southern Türkiye next year in time to mark the country's 101st anniversary, the country’s energy minister announced on Thursday.
Alparslan Bayraktar said that around 30,000 people have been employed in conjunction with Russian company Rosatom to complete work at the nuclear facility in the Mersin province so the first reactor can start operating by Oct. 29 next year.
'I hope next year we will achieve this goal and commission the first reactor and produce electricity from there, thus providing and supplying the first nuclear electricity to our country,” he said during a televised interview with news channel NTV.
The country's nuclear energy advancement will involve more than 20,000 megawatts of nuclear energy capacity over the next 30 years through commissioning the nation's second and third nuclear power facilities in the country's northern Sinop province and Thrace region.
To this end, Bayraktar confirmed that significant progress has been achieved in talks with China over the construction of the second nuclear power plant in the Thrace region.
“We want to strike an agreement with China in a few months. If we can't come to an agreement, Türkiye needs to look at other options to generate 20,000 megawatts of nuclear electricity,” he said.
- Infrastructure is ready for transportation of Israeli gas to Europe via Türkiye
Concerning the country's aim to become a gas transit country, Bayraktar stated that negotiations for the transit of Israeli natural gas to Europe via Türkiye are ongoing. Furthermore, he stated that he intends to visit Israel in November to further explore this matter.
Following gas supply agreements with Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova, Bayraktar stated that the country's goal is to not only operate as a gas transit country but also one that actively manages and exports its gas resources.
He said the extensive infrastructure, which includes nearly 20,000 kilometers of production lines, 180,000 kilometers of distribution network, compressor stations, warehouses, and gasification facilities, will ensure that Türkiye is prepared to receive and distribute gas to Europe from a variety of sources, including Israeli gas.
By Sibel Morrow
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr