Russian President Vladimir Putin will participate in the fuel loading ceremony at the Akkuyu nuclear power plant on April 27 via video link. Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan said this on the air of TRT TV channel on Wednesday.
"On April 27, the ceremony for fuel loading at the Akkuyu NPP will take place. Following it, this facility will become a nuclear one. Russian President Vladimir Putin will also take part in the ceremony via video link," he said.
Erdogan recalled that Akkuyu, once all four reactors are put into operation, will be able to provide 10 percent of the country's total electricity needs. "First we will put the first reactor into operation. Then we will commission the other reactors one by one within a certain timeframe," he said. The Turkish leader also noted that due to the commissioning of the Akkuyu NPP Turkey will be able to reduce the volume of imported natural gas used for electricity generation and channel the gas extracted in the Black Sea for sale. Thus, according to Erdogan, Akkuyu will allow the country's economy to receive an additional $6.5 billion.
As for the plans to build a second nuclear power plant in the republic, Erdogan said that "negotiations have been held with China and South Korea," and further steps will be made as the agreements are prepared. At the same time, he noted that thanks to Russia's construction of the Akkuyu NPP, Turkey has received a large number of its own specialists.
"This nuclear power plant has nurtured hundreds of our young people (specialists - TASS). And where did this happen? In Russia. And now these people are working. Now they can say that let China, Korea come, but they can also build a nuclear power plant themselves. They can also decide, for example, to create a joint venture to build the plant. This way they will be able to reduce the cost of the project," Erdogan believes.
Akkuyu is the first nuclear power plant being constructed in Turkey. The project is implemented on the basis of the intergovernmental agreement on cooperation between Russia and Turkey signed on May 12, 2010. It envisages the construction of four power units with Russian designed VVER reactors of generation "3+". The capacity of each power unit will be 1,200 MW. Once commissioned and operating at full capacity, Akkuyu will generate around 35 billion kWh per year. The plant will be operated by a large number of local specialists who have completed and continue training in practical and theoretical studies in Russia.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS