Feb 4, 2025
Initial operations are beginning for the Akkuyu pumping station.
The main cooling water supply pumping units and those linked to the backup diesel power supply are currently going through load tests, with the equipment's operating parameters being verified after the preliminary runs of the main cooling water pumps.
The Akkuyu nuclear power plant, which consists of four units, will utilize water from the Mediterranean Sea for cooling. Each power unit will have its own pumping station, along with a drainage channel, siphon wells, a distribution chamber, a water intake and spillway structure, and desalination processes. Rosatom claims that during normal operations, the power unit will have a total capacity of 260,000 cubic meters per hour, and that the design will effectively safeguard the pumping station equipment from external hazards such as floods and tsunamis.
Sergei Butckikh, the CEO of Akkuyu Nuclear JSC, commented: "The construction and installation work for the pumping station is nearly complete... the largest pumps of the nuclear power plant... will supply water to all the cooling systems of the power unit, which is why the stable operation of these pumps is crucial for the reliable functioning of the main equipment, including the reactor plant and turbine unit. The onshore pumping station is a distinct hydraulic engineering structure. The design of the station, developed with advanced safety standards in mind, has been successfully implemented thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Turkish-Russian design and construction teams."
Background
Akkuyu, situated in the southern province of Mersin, is Turkey's inaugural nuclear power plant. Rosatom is constructing four VVER-1200 reactors under a BOO (build-own-operate) model. As per the 2010 Intergovernmental Agreement between the Russian Federation and Turkey, the first power unit of the nuclear power plant must be commissioned within seven years of obtaining all necessary construction permits.
Construction for the first unit commenced in 2018 following the issuance of its construction license. Nuclear fuel was delivered to the site in April 2023. Turkey's Nuclear Regulatory Agency granted permission for the first unit to be commissioned in December, and in February it was announced that the reactor compartment was ready for controlled assembly of the reactor, with the generator stator also installed in its designated position.
The target is for unit 1 to begin supplying power to Turkey's energy grid by 2025. Once the 4800 MWe plant is completed, it is anticipated to fulfill approximately 10% of Turkey's electricity requirements, with all four units expected to be operational by the end of 2028.
The Akkuyu nuclear power plant, which consists of four units, will utilize water from the Mediterranean Sea for cooling. Each power unit will have its own pumping station, along with a drainage channel, siphon wells, a distribution chamber, a water intake and spillway structure, and desalination processes. Rosatom claims that during normal operations, the power unit will have a total capacity of 260,000 cubic meters per hour, and that the design will effectively safeguard the pumping station equipment from external hazards such as floods and tsunamis.
Sergei Butckikh, the CEO of Akkuyu Nuclear JSC, commented: "The construction and installation work for the pumping station is nearly complete... the largest pumps of the nuclear power plant... will supply water to all the cooling systems of the power unit, which is why the stable operation of these pumps is crucial for the reliable functioning of the main equipment, including the reactor plant and turbine unit. The onshore pumping station is a distinct hydraulic engineering structure. The design of the station, developed with advanced safety standards in mind, has been successfully implemented thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Turkish-Russian design and construction teams."
Background
Akkuyu, situated in the southern province of Mersin, is Turkey's inaugural nuclear power plant. Rosatom is constructing four VVER-1200 reactors under a BOO (build-own-operate) model. As per the 2010 Intergovernmental Agreement between the Russian Federation and Turkey, the first power unit of the nuclear power plant must be commissioned within seven years of obtaining all necessary construction permits.
Construction for the first unit commenced in 2018 following the issuance of its construction license. Nuclear fuel was delivered to the site in April 2023. Turkey's Nuclear Regulatory Agency granted permission for the first unit to be commissioned in December, and in February it was announced that the reactor compartment was ready for controlled assembly of the reactor, with the generator stator also installed in its designated position.
The target is for unit 1 to begin supplying power to Turkey's energy grid by 2025. Once the 4800 MWe plant is completed, it is anticipated to fulfill approximately 10% of Turkey's electricity requirements, with all four units expected to be operational by the end of 2028.