Turkey plans to build third nuclear power plant

Turkey plans to build a third nuclear power plant in an effort to further reduce its dependence on imported energy. 

The project is part of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “2023 Vision,” marking 100 years since the foundation of modern Turkey and make Turkey one of the world’s top ten economies. 

In 2007, the Turkish government began its first push in the 21st century to construct a nuclear power plant, in passing “The Law on Construction and Operation of Nuclear Power Plants and Energy Sale.”

This kick-started the negotiations that awarded Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy corporation, Rosatom, a contract to build Turkey’s first nuclear power plant (NPP) in Akkuyu, located in the southern Mersin province on the shores of the Mediterranean.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin launched the construction of the Akkuyu plant at a ceremony in Ankara in early April 2018.

Erdogan noted that “Currently, 31 countries produce a significant amount of electricity from 450 nuclear power plants. Also, in 16 countries, 55 nuclear power plants are under construction. And today we can say that the Akkuyu power station, the foundation of which we are laying today, is the 56th.”

“In 2023, we will put into operation the first unit and Turkey will thereby join those countries that use nuclear energy … On the anniversary of our republic, we will crown this work with success.”

Putin said, “We have an ambitious task – to launch the first power unit in 2023, timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey. Together with my dear friend Recep Tayyip Erdogan, we have agreed that we will do everything in order to fulfill this task.”

The launch of the power plant came two weeks after Turkey suffered its most serious nationwide power cut in 16 years which exposed the shortcomings of its energy system.

The Akkuyu nuclear power station will boast four reactors, each with a capacity of 1,200 megawatts. The plant will meet 10 percent of Turkey’s energy needs.