The permits for Turkey's first nuclear power plant, which will be built by Rosatom in Mersin province, Turkey, will be ready by October, the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation announced.

Atomstroyexport, a building company which belongs to Rosatom, has held a tender for the development of technical requirements to prepare the ground with concrete surface for the erection of the main buildings and foundations of the complex. Rosatom said in a statement that the most important structures of the complex are the nuclear energy blocks and the works on preparing foundation plate for the reactor will mark the start for the main construction phase of the plant.

The results of the works on technical requirements will be used for the construction of nuclear blocks from one to four and the construction and fitting works will start in 2017.

Major construction works for the power plant itself are expected to start in February 2018, as the Turkish Ministry of Energy has announced that it will grant the building license at the beginning of the next year.

The nuclear power plant to be built in Akkuyu includes the "3+" generation of the 4 VVER type, consisting of four energy blocks capable of delivering 1,200 megawatts each. Agreements between Russia and Turkey had been signed in 2010 and estimated costs range at $20 billion.