Construction of third reactor permitted in Turkey's Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant
Construction of the third reactor in Turkey's first nuclear power plant was cleared, the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry said on Nov. 17. The project is a politically controversial one, along with its environmental threats, as the project is a joint effort with Russia, with the latter owning 99.2 percent of the corporation.
Duvar English
A permit was granted for the construction of the third reactor in Turkey's first ever nuclear power plant, a joint project with Moscow, Turkey's Energy and Natural Resources Ministry said on Nov. 17.
"The construction license was cleared for Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant's third unit," the ministry said. "The energy rising from Akkuyu will illuminate all of Turkey."
While the agreement for the collaboration was officially inked in 2010, the first reactor is expected to start operations in 2023.
"The first reactor will start operating in 2023 and our energy portfolio will be further diversified," the ministry added.
A grave threat to the local flora and fauna, the instability of nuclear power has been the main cause for environmental opposition to the Akkuyu project.
Some 99.2 percent of Akkuyu Nuclear Corp. is owned by Russia's state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom.