The service life of modern Russian-made power units is 60 years, and with service life extension – up to 100 years. And at least during this period, energy ties between countries cannot be interrupted. The Rosatom state corporation intends not only to build a second nuclear power plant in Turkey in Sinop, but also to participate in the tender for the creation of a third station,” said the corporation’s general director, Alexey Likhachev, during a speech to the state. Duma Rosatom’s confidence in its positions is justified. According to Likhachev, the Turkish authorities are pleased with the progress of work on the creation of the first nuclear power plant with Russian participation, Akkuyu, in Mersin province. An intergovernmental agreement on the construction of this facility was signed in May 2010. The project provides for the construction of four 1200 MW power units and their sequential commissioning at intervals of one year – from 2023 to 2026. Rosatom is financing the construction of a Turkish nuclear power plant. plant against 51 percent of the shares, and the remaining 49 percent can be distributed to foreign investors or international banking institutions. At the same time, most of the equipment and high-tech products are supplied by Russian companies. This is the world’s first nuclear power plant project using the BOO (Build-Own-Operate) model. In the future, Turkish specialists trained at our university, the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, will participate in the operation of the station at all stages. Akkuyu will be able to provide 10% of Turkey’s energy consumption and reduce its dependence on oil, gas and coal. Therefore, the power plant will be an important step to strengthen the republic’s energy security and accelerate its economic growth. The project cost is 20 billion US dollars. The need to develop nuclear energy in Turkey was discussed back in the early 70s, but for more than 30 years no practical steps have been taken to implement the plan. It was only in 2007 that a law was passed regulating the construction of nuclear power plants in Turkey. By the way, it was this year that Rosatom replaced the Federal Atomic Energy Agency. After the signing of the agreement on the construction of Akkuyu, the joint JSC Akkuyu Nuclear was created. However, the tragic 2015 “airline crisis” between Moscow and Ankara in Syria slowed down this process. The project resumed in 2016. Construction of the first power unit began in 2019, the second in 2020, the third in 2021, and the fourth in 2022. In April 2023, with the remote participation of Presidents Putin and Erdogan, the first batch of nuclear energy was transferred. fuel was filled. Commissioning of the entire station is scheduled for 2028. In total, four power units will generate 35 billion kWh of electricity. Moreover, by using the power of the station, the Turkish authorities will save up to 15% of the gas consumed by the republic, which is equal to 10 billion cubic meters. It follows from this that Russia has already begun to transform Turkey into the gas center that Erdogan dreams of. The Turks also relied on their fields in the Black Sea – Sakarya, on Russian gas via the Turkish Stream, on Iranian and Azerbaijani gas pipelines. But Akkuyu is the most important piece of this puzzle. Without it, until 2027-2028, Turkey, as it plans, will not become an interesting center for Europe with 60 billion cubic meters. It is especially important for Moscow that in Turkey it has actually replaced another recognized player in the nuclear energy market – France. At first the Turks tried to attract the French, but the parties did not agree on the terms. From the point of view of Russia’s long-term interests in the Turkish direction, cooperation in the field of peaceful nuclear energy seems most promising. The service life of modern Russian-made power units is 60 years, and with service life extension – up to 100 years. And at least during this period, energy ties between countries cannot be interrupted. It is also important that Turkish nuclear scientists have undergone and will undergo internships at a Russian university. The latter will create a certain environment of expert-scientific ties, which will be extremely difficult for any person, including any Western country, to break. Indeed, there is another school of training specialists, adapted to their logic of nuclear energy and their reactors. Pro-Western forces in Turkey understand this well. There are often articles in the Turkish media in which local oppositionists call on the authorities to “come to their senses.” Thus, in the material of the author of the Turkish pro-Western publication Deniz Zeyrek, it is said that Moscow is allegedly building “serious military infrastructure” in Mersin under the pretext of building a station. The fact that this is impossible, because it is impossible in principle, does not bother the Turkish fifth column at all. Pro-Western journalists are echoed by so-called environmentalists, who are especially concerned about Russian peaceful nuclear energy. Moreover, it means that vigorous diplomacy must be accompanied by our soft media and educational power. In particular, it would be quite advisable to regularly organize Russian-Turkish media forums. In general, nuclear diplomacy has become an important component of Russian foreign policy. Suffice it to remember that at the end of January, the presidents of Russia and Egypt, Vladimir Putin and Abdul Fattah Khalil Al-Sisi, began construction of a new power unit at the El-Dabaa nuclear power plant. The facility will include four power units with Russian VVER-1200 reactor units. In addition, Rosatom has already received several applications from African countries. In particular, we are talking about South Africa, said the head of the state corporation Likhachev. The African continent is perhaps the most promising direction for Russian peaceful nuclear energy. The local population is experiencing significant difficulties with electricity. More than 500 million people practically live without it. Only 10% of the continent’s total population has access to electricity. And the placement of Rosatom in such large and influential Eastern countries as Turkey and Egypt will contribute to further growth of interest, including in Africa. And interest will follow the contracts. Fortunately, an instrument such as the Russia-Africa summit brings results every year. Yuri Mavashevhttps://vz.ru
Nuclear power in Turkey is the driving force behind Russian influence in the East. Yuri Mavashev
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