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Rosatom Says Amendments To Three Turkish Laws Are Needed Before Akkuyu Can Proceed

By David Dalton
16 May 2016

16 May (NucNet): Amendments are needed to three Turkish laws before Russia can go ahead with plans to build Turkey’s first nuclear power station at Akkuyu, a spokesman for Rosatom Energy International said, a subsidiary of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, said.

Roman Dyukerev, REI’s director of corporate communications, said Russia has been waiting for five years for the three laws to be amended and “nothing has happened”.

He said one law prevents the cutting down of olive trees on the proposed site. He said olive trees are protected in Turkey and without an amendment to allow the trees to be removed work cannot proceed.

Another law means the shape of the seafront cannot be altered to allow for construction of intake and outlet channels, and a third law prevents foreign producers of electricity from selling it.

“We can build four units, but we cannot sell any of the electricity they produce,” Mr Romanov said. “What is the point of doing our job if they are not doing theirs?”

Akkuyu, near Mersin on the country’s southern Mediterranean coast, is to be built in cooperation with Rosatom under a contract signed in late 2010. The station will have four 1,200 MW VVER units and is scheduled to produce power by the end of 2022.

Rosatom director-general Sergei Kiriyenko recently dismissed reports in Turkish media saying Rosatom is selling its stake in Akkuyu. Mr Kiriyenko was quoted by Russian media as saying he would not comment on “rumours” and added that “nothing has changed” on Rosatom’s side.

Widespread reports in Turkish media quoted unnamed sources in Rosatom as saying that the company was considering selling 49 percent of its stake in the Akkuyu project because of financial concerns.

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