Rosatom, through its affiliate Akkuyu Nuclear, has signed an agreement with TSM Enerji to undertake the remaining work at the Akkuyu nuclear power plant, located in the Turkish province of Mercin on the Mediterranean coast after ending a deal with Turkish firm IC Ictas, in a move that could cause a delay in the construction process. IC Ictas plans to take Rosatom to arbitration in London, as well as pursue domestic legal action in Turkey. TSM Enerji is owned by three Russian companies.
In July 2022, Rosatom started building the fourth nuclear unit at Akkuyu. The licence for the construction of the plant's fourth power unit was issued by the Turkish Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NDK) in October 2021. The concreting was preceded by a wide range of preparatory work which included dewatering, excavation of a basement pit, installation of a concrete cushion and waterproofing, reinforcement of the basement and installation of embedded parts.
The Akkuyu nuclear power plant consists of four VVER units of 1,200 MW totalling 4,800 MW, which are expected to generate up to 35 TWh/year once fully operational. The first three units entered construction in 2018, 2020 and 2021 respectively. Akkuyu Nuclear is building the plant at a cost of US$20bn under a build-own-operate (BOO) contract. The project should be operational between 2023 and 2026, although further delays are possible. The government plans to commission the first unit in 2023 to coincide with the centenary of the creation of the Turkish republic.
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