Russian energy company Rosatom expects the construction of the main parts of Turkey's first nuclear power plant (NPP), Akkuyu, to begin in 2018, Ilya Smirnov, the director of legal and corporate affairs of Akkuyu Nuclear Company said on Wednesday.
"Rosatom expects to receive a license for the construction of the Akkuyu NPP and start construction in 2018,” Smirnov told journalists on the sideline of the Atomexpo 2016 forum held in Russian capital Moscow.
Noting that the Akkuyu Nuclear Company made all the necessary applications to receive the construction licenses, Smirnov said that they also expect to get a license for the generation of electricity in the NPP by August this year in preparation for electricity generation in 2023.
Smirnov said the commissioning of the first unit of the Akkuyu NPP is planned for 2023 and for all four units to be completed by 2026. The plant when completed with four units, will have a capacity of 4,800 megawatts.
"Akkuyu NPP’s operation period is planned to last until 2083,” he added.
However, relations between Turkey and Russia have been severely damaged when two Turkish F-16 fighter jets on an aerial patrol shot down a Russian warplane late November.
Coupled with the dire situation of the Russian economy due to low oil prices, Akkuyu Nuclear Company decided to sell its 49 percent share of its company in Turkey in April this year.
Turkish construction firm Cengiz announced that they were in talks with Rosatom to buy up to 49 percent of the shares of the company.
(Anadolu Agency)
