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First unit of Turkey’s Akkuyu NPP to launch in autumn-winter — Rosatom CEO

According to Alexey Likhachev, Rosatom received permission for the loading of dummy fuel assemblies into the first reactor of the Akkuyu NPP

ST. PETERSBURG, June 5. /TASS/. The physical start-up of the first unit of Turkey's Akkuyu nuclear power plant (NPP) will take place in the autumn or winter of 2026, Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev told reporters.

"We have good news: this week we received permission for the loading of dummy fuel assemblies into the first reactor of the Akkuyu NPP, which means we will test the entire system for readiness before loading fuel. This brings us closer to the physical and power start-up in the autumn or winter of this year," Likhachev said on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

Earlier, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar noted that construction of the facility's first reactor, which Rosatom is building in Turkey, was 99% complete. Its launch following the testing phase is planned by the end of this year, according to the minister.

SPIEF is taking place on June 3-6. This year's main theme is "Pragmatic Dialogue: The Path to a Stable Future." The forum's program focuses on shaping a new model of global development amid the transformation of the world economy. The Roscongress Foundation is the organizer of the forum, with TASS serving as its general information partner.