Turkey plans to make its first nuclear power plant, Akkuyu, operational in 2023, Turkey's Energy and Natural Resources Minister Berat Albayrak said on Friday.
Albayrak, after a visit to the fieldwork of the plant, located in Mersin province in the Mediterranean region, said that the strategic project will use 3+ reactor technologies.
According to the World Nuclear Association, 3+ reactors have a simpler and more rugged design, higher availability and longer operating life - typically 60 years. They further offer the reduced possibility of core melt accidents, and are resistant to serious damage that would allow radiological release from an aircraft impact, or higher burn-up to use fuel more fully.
"Akkuyu will have the most advanced security standards. The project will bring Turkey beyond the level of contemporary civilizations," Albayrak said.
He also said that Akkuyu would be the biggest investment in the history of the Republic of Turkey with an estimated cost of about $20 billion.
The project will also enable Turkey to develop the capability to have peaceful nuclear product capacity, Albayrak said.
(Anadolu Agency)
