Construction works are in full swing at the Akkuyu NPP. In early September, the construction site was visited by Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar. Other countries take interest in the unparalleled experience gained from building Turkey’s first nuclear power plant.
Construction news
In early September, a delegation of Turkish energy sector officials headed by Alparslan Bayraktar visited the Akkuyu site. They inspected the reactor containment of the first unit, currently under pre-commissioning, held an extended meeting with the project stakeholders, and were reported on the progress of construction works.
“We received the necessary information on the Akkuyu nuclear power plant project, which will be the beginning of a new energy era for Turkey. It is now the world’s largest nuclear construction site, with over 34 thousand employees engaged and the works going full tilt. Full-scale pre-commissioning operations are underway at the first power unit. Works are also on schedule at Units 2, 3 and 4, each planned to be brought online in a one-year interval after the commissioning of the first unit,” Alparslan Bayraktar said.
Also in early September, the workers finished concreting the foundation for the turbine at Unit 3. The solid foundation is able to withstand and evenly distribute heavy loads caused by the turbine operation. The concreting task was preceded by the erection of a space reinforcement frame measuring 58 m by 20.4 m and five meters high. The frame was assembled from horizontal and vertical steel bars connected to each other with threaded couplings. These connections significantly reduced installation time and labor costs.
After the concrete slab cures as designed, Akkuyu NPP engineers will proceed with the installation of a turbine generator.
In late August, the builders finished installing the lower dome section of the outer containment shell (OCS) at Unit 1 of the nuclear power plant. It took 10 hours to install this large-sized metal structure at the height of 63 meters. Measuring 50.8 meters in diameter, the structure weighs 340 tonnes.
“After the successful installation of the lower section of the outer containment shell, the next step will be to erect the OCS dome. When assembled, this large-size reinforced concrete structure will protect the reactor unit from external impacts during the entire lifetime of the nuclear power plant,” said Sergey Butskikh, CEO at Akkuyu Nuclear.
Meanwhile, the fourth tier of the inner containment shell (ICS) was installed at Unit 3. It is an intermediate element between the cylindrical and dome parts of the containment. The fourth tier is a ring-shaped welded metal structure weighing 396 tonnes and 6.5 meters high. It was pre-assembled on a special site near the power unit under construction and lifted to its intended place by a crawler crane. The fifth tier of the ICS consists of 12 reinforced sections. Assembly of the sections began long before the installation. Sergey Butskikh said: “We pre-assembled the fifth tier of the containment shell as early as the end of 2023. The installation of cantilevers, to which the polar crane rail track is attached, is usually done at height after the tier is fixed in place. This time, in order to optimize the timing of further construction and installation works, we decided to mount the cantilevers while the tier was still on the ground, and lift the entire assembled structure to its design position,” Sergey Butskikh explained.
Sharing experience
With four advanced powerful reactors built simultaneously on the site, Akkuyu is one of the largest nuclear construction projects in the world. This experience arouses interest worldwide, and the plant builders are happy to share it.
In late August, a delegation of reporters, public figures and experts from Kazakhstan visited the construction site. The guests toured the reactor hall of Unit 1, Eastern cargo terminal, training center for the operating staff, and other locations. They were told about the status of the project, involvement of local suppliers, and its impact on social and economic development of the region.
“It is the first time we have passed through every single stage of the nuclear plant construction process, including through engineering surveys, licensing, creating a legal framework, drafting an environmental impact report, building supplier chains, and so on. We are glad to share this experience with our guests and potential partners of Rosatom,” Sergey Butskikh said.
Members of the Kazakhstan delegation also met with representatives of local authorities and visited the construction site of residential quarters for the Akkuyu NPP personnel. Construction of the first part of the residential cluster designed to accommodate 10 thousand people, is nearing completion, with the first residents to move in there in 2025. The delegation from Kazakhstan also visited local farms and an innovative fruit-drying factory.
“I was impressed with the scale and significance of this project, and also with the beauty of surrounding nature. I was particularly amazed by the conditions created for workers, which demonstrates Rosatom’s social commitments. Along with building advanced nuclear power facilities, the Russian nuclear corporation makes a huge contribution to the development of the entire city,” said Shyngys Ilyasov, Advisor to the Minister of Energy of Kazakhstan.
The Akkuyu project has created 34,000 jobs at the site and has become a turning point for over 150 Turkish contractors. Güven Yılmaz from Gersan Elektrik, one of Turkey’s largest power companies and a supplier for the Akkuyu project, emphasized the importance of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant for Turkish industry. A new window of opportunity has opened for local companies participating in the project, DHA news agency quoted him as saying. “This is a huge and prestigious project. It will definitely be a source of pride for Turkish companies to work for this project and showcase this prestigious experience to other countries and every company in the sector after the project is completed,” Güven Yılmaz said.
