Work is in full swing at the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant as all four primary coolant pumps have been installed at Unit 2, and another shipment of machinery and equipment for Unit 4 has arrived at the construction site. Russian nuclear engineers have manufactured a reactor pressure vessel for Unit 4. Applicants have taken admission exams for the Akkuyu personnel training program in Russia.
Primary coolant pumps (PCPs) were installed in the reactor building of Unit 2. The last of the four spherical casings was positioned using a self-propelled crawler crane. These pieces of equipment were mounted using the Open Top method, where components are lowered through the open top of the reactor building’s cylinder-shaped section. Before installation, the pumps were transported from the warehouse to a platform near the reactor building. This is where they were pre-assembled: the casings were mounted on lower supports and connected with biological shielding rings.
“With the installation of the primary coolant pumps, we have completed the assembly of core equipment for the reactor of Unit 2. The reactor pressure vessel, steam generators, and safety system water tanks are already in place, and we will soon proceed to weld primary coolant pumps to connect all these components,” said Sergey Butskikh, CEO of Akkuyu Nuclear JSC.
PCP casings are Class 1 safety products, which means they must meet the strictest manufacturing standards. During operation, PCPs circulate coolant in the primary circuit under a pressure of about 160 atmospheres and a temperature of 300 degrees Celsius.
In April, parts of the turbine generator for Unit 4 arrived at the Vostochny (‘Eastern’) cargo terminal. The total weight of the delivered machinery was 1,240 tonnes.
Meanwhile in Russia, Atommash, a manufacturing facility of Rosatom’s Mechanical Engineering Division, completed another critical phase in the production of the reactor for Unit 4 as workers finished welding a closing weld seam that joined separate sections into a single VVER-1200 reactor pressure vessel. This phase is among the most labor-intensive. The welding process lasted 10 days, with the seam area kept continuously heated to between 170 and 280°C. After welding, the reactor vessel was subjected to heat treatment, followed by radiographic testing, ultrasonic inspection, and capillary testing of the weld seam.
Turkey’s first nuclear power plant is not yet operational, but personnel training is already underway. In April, Turkish students planning to work at the Akkuyu NPP took admission exams for master’s programs at leading Russian research universities.
The exams were conducted as online interviews by faculty members. Seventy students will be selected for the 2025/2026 academic year. Eligible are Turkish nationals who have graduated from Turkish universities with bachelor’s degrees in natural sciences, engineering, or energy-related fields.
“Participants of the Akkuyu employee training program will specialize in in-demand areas, such as Nuclear Physics and Technology, Thermal Engineering and Technology, Electrical Engineering and Technology, Refrigeration, Cryogenic Equipment and Utilities, and others. High-quality education at specialized universities, combined with internships at operating nuclear power plants, enables us to train highly skilled engineers who will ensure the plant’s reliable operation,” Sergey Butskikh said.
The professional training program for the Akkuyu personnel was launched in 2011 and is financed by the Russian government. Those graduates who will successfully complete the program will be hired by Akkuyu Nuclear JSC under indefinite employment contracts.
Rosatom actively promotes nuclear science among the younger generation — students and schoolchildren — through career guidance events, nation-wide creative competitions, and school outreach initiatives.
In April, senior students, teachers from Aydınçık Gymnasium (Mersin Province), and local education officials toured the Akkuyu NPP construction site.
The students learned about advanced nuclear generation technologies, the plant’s construction process, the purpose of its main buildings, and operational principles. They were also brought to a 200m high observation deck and visited an on-site fire station.
In late April, ahead of one of Turkey’s most significant national holidays — National Sovereignty and Children’s Day — Akkuyu Nuclear hosted an event for local schoolchildren. The celebration brought together over 80 students from Turkish and Russian schools located near the construction site. The children flew 81 kites, one for each province of Turkey. The event also included sports activities for the children.
Photo by: Akkuyu Nuclear
