Final assembly under way for Akkuyu 4’s reactor vessel

Maxim Zhidkov, the head of the Atommash plant, said engineers will "ensure that every component and element of the reactor is precisely positioned to a thousandth of a millimetre. This work verifies the reactor's operational readiness for at least six decades. It also streamlines installation at the NPP site. A successful test build stands as a testament to the excellence of Russian design and production standards".

The Atommash plant is also currently working on the reactor vessel for the second unit at the El Dabaa nuclear power plant in Egypt as well as 17 steam generators for nuclear power plants in Russia, Turkey, Egypt and India.

Igor Kotov, head of Rosatom's Mechanical Engineering division, said: "Our products have powered hundreds of nuclear plants in Russia and around the globe, bringing warmth and illumination to millions. They have also driven the creation of nuclear icebreakers ... no less ambitious projects lie ahead. Among them are the launch of the world's first IV Generation energy complex in Seversk ... and the development of a line of floating nuclear power plants."

Background

Akkuyu, in the southern Mersin province, is Turkey's first nuclear power plant. Rosatom is building four VVER-1200 reactors, under a so-called BOO (build-own-operate) model. According to the terms of the 2010 Intergovernmental Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey, the commissioning of the first power unit of the nuclear power plant must take place within seven years from receipt of all permits for the construction of the unit.

The licence for the construction of the first unit was issued in 2018, with construction work beginning that year. Nuclear fuel was delivered to the site in April 2023. Turkey's Nuclear Regulatory Agency issued permission for the first unit to be commissioned in December 2023, and in February 2024 it was announced that the reactor compartment had been prepared for controlled assembly of the reactor - and the generator stator had also been installed in its pre-design position.

The aim is for unit 1 to begin supplying Turkey's energy system in the next year. When the 4800 MWe plant is completed, it is expected to meet about 10% of Turkey's electricity needs, with the aim that all four units will be operational by the end of 2028. First concrete for unit 4 was poured in August 2023.