Turkey to bring Akkuyu NPP's first power unit into operation in coming weeks

Turkey expects progress in the coming weeks toward commissioning the first power unit of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said, as he presented an energy development program through 2040 in Istanbul.

"I hope Turkey will realize its 70-year-old dream of transitioning to nuclear energy with the construction of the Akkuyu NPP. Construction of all four reactors is proceeding simultaneously. We have now reached a very important stage. Regarding the first reactor, I hope that in the coming weeks we will be able to take the next step [toward commissioning the power unit]," Bayraktar said.

The minister noted he will not make any definitive promises, as they have entered a phase that entails hundreds of individual tests.

"However, we are currently taking concrete steps toward bringing the plant into operation," Bayraktar said.