Critical Stages Completed at Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant
Two critical operations have been successfully completed at the site of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Mersin, which is being built by Russia's state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom. The reactor pressure vessel for Power Unit 3 was installed in its design position, while the first batch of fresh nuclear fuel for Power Unit 2 was delivered to the site.
Two critical operations have been successfully completed at the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) construction site in Mersin, built by Russia's state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom. The reactor pressure vessel for the 3rd Unit has been installed in its design position, while the first batch of fresh nuclear fuel has been delivered to the site for the 2nd Unit.
The reactor pressure vessel for the 3rd Unit was installed using "open top" technology. This method allows equipment to be supplied directly through the open section at the top of the reactor building, optimizing construction and assembly operations. Following the installation of the reactor pressure vessel, a commission comprised of experts from Turkish Lloyd and Turkey's Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA), together with Akkuyu Nuclear officials, inspected the quality of the installation.
Nuclear fuel produced for the 2nd Unit in the final days of 2024 also reached the Akkuyu NPP site. The fuel bundles were delivered to the site in special transport containers and placed in the fresh fuel storage facility, maintained in compliance with all international nuclear safety requirements.
The nuclear fuel produced for the 2nd Unit was delivered to the Akkuyu NPP site in special transport containers in December 2024. The fuel bundles, transported in accordance with international nuclear safety standards, were placed in the fresh fuel storage facility.
Sergey Butckikh, General Director of Akkuyu Nuclear, emphasized the importance of the work carried out with the following statement:
"As in previous years, the pace of work on the site in 2024 was very high. We have implemented the main operations envisaged in the project plan. The heart of the 3rd unit of Akkuyu NPP has been installed—that is, we have successfully completed critical work on the installation of the nuclear reactor vessel. As with all other construction and assembly work on the site, the installation of the reactor vessel required meticulous preparation, highly qualified specialists, and special attention at each stage.
Additionally, in December we delivered the first batch of fuel for the 2nd unit to the Akkuyu NPP site. The fuel was transported to Turkey by road and sea in leak-proof containers under strict coordination between the relevant divisions of Akkuyu Nuclear, the manufacturing facility, and regulatory authorities. Before being loaded into the reactor, the containers will be kept under special conditions in the fresh fuel storage facility at the NPP site."
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