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Rosatom launches construction work at Akkuyu NPP site in Turkey

In 2010, Russia and Turkey signed an intergovernmental agreement on construction and operation of Turkey's first Akkuyu nuclear power plant

VIENNA, September 19. /TASS/. Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom has launched construction works at the site where of the first nuclear power plant Akkuyu will be built, Rosatom's head Alexei Likhachev told reporters at the 61st regular session of the IAEA general conference.

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"General construction works on the site are already underway, including hydraulic facilities," he said.

Likhachev reminded that Rosatom hopes to get a license to build a nuclear power plant in Turkey before the end of this year.

"Provided that we are working directly with the regulator in Turkey, we hope to get the license this year, but the construction works are already underway, so we are optimistic about the future," Likhachev said.

In 2010, Russia and Turkey signed an intergovernmental agreement to cooperate on construction and operation of Turkey's first Akkuyu nuclear power plant. The project is estimated at $20 billion and implies the construction of four power units with VVER-1200 reactors with a total capacity of 4,800 MW. Rosatom expects to launch the first unit of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant start in 2023.

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