The document consists of 5,500 pages, which outline a study of how the planned nuclear power plant would affect the environment of its host region (Mersin Province) and various activities, such as agriculture, tourism, infrastructure, local industry content, fishery and many others.
The document was written based on the information provided by independent contractors; specialists in ecology, design and licensing of nuclear power plants in Europe and Asia were involved. Besides, Turkish universities took part in the EIA documentation development.
The next stage will be the getting of licenses and the site preparation permit. After the Turkish law on the coastal area and olives is amended, it is assumed that the zoning plans of the coastal area and mainland are to be approved.
Then, the next moves include the obtaining of a preliminary license for electricity generation, signing of the construction site development right, and getting a limited construction permit.
For Information:
The intergovernmental agreement between Russia and Turkey concerning the cooperation in building and operating a nuclear power plant on the site “Akkuyu” (near the city of Mersin in the south of Turkey) was signed in 2010. Atomstroyexport is the principal contractor for the nuclear power plant construction. Turkey’s first nuclear power plant project includes four VVER reactors. Each power unit capacity will be 1,200 MW. Akkuyu NPP in Turkey is built with the BOO (Build-Own-Operate) approach, where the overseas NPP owner is the Russian party. The Russian party has founded the project company, Akkuyu Nuclear JSC, in Turkey. It main shareholders are Rusatom Overseas (65%) and Rosenergoatom (31%). The remaining 4% are also owned by companies that are part of ROSATOM. In future, a decision may be made to sell up to 49% interest in the project to investors, while at least 51% of interest should be with the Russian party. The project costs about US$20 billion.
These are to be followed by the obtaining of a permit for construction works in the coastal and sea areas and, in the long run, a permit to build Akkuyu NPP.
CEO of ROSATOM Sergey Kirienko said the information agency Anadolu the Turkish companies would do up to 90% of the construction work and a half of the equipment installation.
At the present time, Turkey doesn’t have a nuclear power plant, but plans to build three. Akkuyu will be the first; it will have four reactors of the Russian VVER design. Each power unit capacity will be 1,200 MW. The launch of the large-scale project will set in motion the new industry development in the country. In this regard, the state bodies, non-governmental organizations, political parties and ordinary public of Turkey pay close attention to the project.
An array of opportunities
According to Kirienko, ROSATOM doesn’t rule out an opportunity of not only new nuclear build projects in Turkey but also that of the projects in third countries. “We have been granted the right to build the first nuclear power plant in Turkey. The consortium of Japan and France has undertaken to build the second nuclear power plant. With this, the Turkish Government – and these are open declared plans – says the nuclear power development program (in Turkey) is not limited to these two pages; it will develop and expand,” Kirienko said. Recently, the Turkish partners have studied details of the fast neutron reactor program and whether Russia is ready to offer not only thermal neutron reactors of VVER design but also to consider the fast neutron program in future, according to Kirienko. “It is also possible,” the CEO of ROSATOM said, recollecting the words of President of Russia Vladimir Putin on the readiness to help Turkey build up the new industry.
