The first power unit of the Akkuyu NPP, which is being built by the Russian state corporation Rosatom, will be launched in 2023.

This was stated on Thursday by the Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey, Alparslan Bayraktar, at the discussion “Green Energy: Challenges of the New Time”, which is taking place at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

“The demand for electricity in Turkey has tripled over the past 20 years and we expect it to continue to grow over the next 20 years. The first power unit of the Akkuyu NPP will be launched as early as next year,” the minister stressed.

Bayraktar noted that after the ratification of the Paris climate agreement, Turkey will have to decarbonize its economy by 2050. “In this regard, we attach great importance to natural gas and the development of nuclear energy,” he added.

Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant is a nuclear power plant on the southern coast of Turkey. It is being built according to the Russian project, which includes the construction and commissioning of four power units with VVER-1200 reactors. The agreement on the construction of the plant was signed in May 2010. Today, the construction site of the Akkuyu power plant is one of the largest nuclear construction projects in the world. More than 13,000 people work daily at the construction site, and more than 1,000 units of construction equipment and vehicles are involved.