Final testing and commissioning works are underway at Türkiye's Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, a senior executive said Monday, as the country moves closer to bringing its first nuclear reactor unit into operation.
Sergei Butckikh, general manager of Akkuyu Nuclear JSC, said work is progressing simultaneously across all four reactor units at the site in the southern Mersin province.
The plant, built by Russia's state nuclear energy company Rosatom under a 2010 accord worth nearly $20 billion, will consist of four reactors with a combined installed capacity of 4,800 megawatts (MW), with each reactor capable of generating 1,200 MW.
The first reactor is expected to come online in the coming months.
"We are currently at a very important stage in Unit 1," Butckikh told Anadolu Agency (AA). "All equipment and systems are undergoing the necessary inspection operations and are being prepared for the commissioning phase."
He said preparations are continuing for hydraulic testing of the primary circuit, loading of imitation fuel assemblies into the reactor and the hot and cold functional testing stages, which are considered among the most critical phases before commissioning.
Transition to operational mode
Butckikh said commissioning activities involve gradually shifting systems and equipment into operational mode ahead of the physical startup process, which includes nuclear fuel loading.
"During this stage, all systems and equipment will gradually be transitioned into operating mode," he said. "At the same time, we aim to prepare the plant for what we call the 'physical commissioning' stage, namely fuel loading."
Once fully operational, Akkuyu is expected to meet around 10% of Türkiye's electricity demand. The plant is designed for a 60-year operating lifespan, with the possibility of extending operations for an additional 20 years.
Construction and installation activities are also continuing at the plant's remaining units.
Butckikh said turbine installation work is underway at the second unit, while welding operations have begun on the main circulation pipeline.
Construction at the third and fourth units is also progressing steadily, he added.
Major crane installed at 3rd unit
A separate statement by the company Monday said an important installation milestone was completed at the third reactor unit after a 350-ton-capacity main bridge crane was installed inside the turbine hall.
According to the company, the installation operation, carried out using a heavy-duty crawler crane, took approximately six hours.
The bridge crane will be used during both construction and operational phases to transport heavy equipment and materials, including turbine rotors, turbo-generator components and pipeline sections weighing more than 100 tons.
During the plant's operational life, the crane will also support maintenance and scheduled repair work in the turbine facility.
Following the installation, engineers will proceed with mounting electrical lifting systems, configuring control and command systems and testing safety-related mechanisms.
The crane will undergo both static and dynamic testing, including maximum-load trials, before entering service.
The turbine halls at each reactor unit are equipped with three bridge cranes operating through an advanced automated control system designed to prevent collisions between cranes, hooks and steel cables.
Butckikh said the commissioning of the crane would pave the way for installing key turbine equipment and completing the roof construction at the turbine building.
"The precision provided by the crane during installation is of great importance for the success of commissioning operations and the operational reliability of the power unit," he said.
Türkiye aims to reach 7.2 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear capacity by 2035 and 20 GW by 2050. It plans to complement the conventional nuclear plants with small modular reactors.
Ankara is also in talks with South Korea, China, Russia and the United States on two additional nuclear plants it plans to build in the Black Sea province of Sinop and the Thrace region.