Akkuyu nuclear power plant project, Türkiye – update

19th July 2024 By: Sheila Barradas - Creamer Media Research Coordinator & Senior Deputy Editor

Akkuyu nuclear power plant project, Türkiye – update

Photo by: Akkuyu Nuclear

Name of the Project
Akkuyu nuclear power plant (NPP) project.

Location
Mersin, Türkiye.

Project Owner/s
Akkuyu Nuclear, comprising Inter RAO UES JSC, Rosenergoatom JSC, Atomtechenergo JSC, Atomenergoremont JSC and Rusatom Energy International JSC.

Project Description
The Akkuyu NPP will be based on an NPP-2006 serial project. The 4 800 MWe plant will comprise four VVER1200 reactors and is expected to meet about 10% of Türkiye’s electricity needs.

The power unit includes a reactor plant and a turbine plant.

The primary circuit is radioactive and comprises a reactor, four reactor coolant loops, four reactor coolant pumps, heating parts of four steam generators and one steam pressuriser.

The secondary circuit is not radioactive. It comprises steam generators; fresh steam conduits; one turbine unit comprising a turbine plant and a turbine generator; condensate pumps; a system of low-pressure regenerative heaters; a turbine condensate system; deaerators; a feedwater system, including feedwater pumps; and a system of high-pressure regenerative heaters.

The turbine is equipped with a condensing unit and regenerative installation for heating the feedwater and separators, with unregulated steam extraction for the NPP’s auxiliary needs and heating chemically treated water additives in the circuit.

Capital Expenditure
The project is estimated at $20-billion.

Planned Start/End Date
The aim is for the first unit of the plant to start supplying Türkiye's energy system in 2025, and for all four units to be operational by the end of 2028.

Latest Developments
The installation of the containment prestressing system (CPS) has been completed in the reactor building of the Akkuyu NPP Unit 1. This is a part of a sealed structure that creates a reliable protective barrier, which, in turn, isolates the inner containment of the reactor building from the external environment.

Construction and installation work on the CPS components installation were conducted from the start of the construction of the reactor building. The installation of support cups and channelisers, acting as void formers, was undertaken at the containment construction stage, in which high-strength reinforcing ropes were subsequently mounted and filled with a special cement mortar. Once the structure reached the design strength, the tension of 128 bundles of reinforcing ropes was performed. Of these, 68 are stretched horizontally and 60 are stretched vertically. Hydraulic jacks were used to tighten the steel ropes. The tension force of each beam comprised about 1 200 t.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Rosatom (construction of VVER-1200 reactors under a build, own, operate model); Titan2 Ic İçtaş İnşaat Anonim Şirketİ (construction contractor); GE Steam Power and AEM Technology, a joint venture between AtomEnergoMash and General Electric, or GE (design and supply of the equipment and systems for the whole conventional island); JSC Tyazhmash (core melt trap); and Nukem Technologies and NIKIMT-Atomstroy JSC (supply of the equipment for compacting SRW).

Contact Details for Project Information
Akkuyu NPP JSC, tel +90 312 442 60 00, fax +90 312 442 60 16 or email info@akkuyu.com.