29 May (NucNet): Turkey has confirmed that it wants to build a third nuclear power plant, but said it hopes to gather the technology and expertise to build the majority of the plant using indigenous components and technology.
Energy minister Taner Yildiz said in a statement that Turkey’s plan is to be able to operate its third plant, and to build the majority of the plant itself. He said the indigenous component could be anything from 60 percent to 80 percent, but a final decision would depend on the performance of the country’s other planned plants.
Turkey recently concluded two nuclear plant tenders, one with Russia and a second with the Japanese-French consortium Mitsubishi Heavy Industries-GDF Suez.
Turkey’s decision to make nuclear a significant part of its energy mix is the result of its need to reduce natural gas imports over the next decade, Mr Yildiz said.
Mr Yildiz said the government has already started making plans for a third nuclear plant because growing domestic energy needs are unlikely to be met by the first two.
He said Turkey “will not rush” to decide on the third plant, but the target was to build the third plant “mostly using the country’s own national sources”.
Mr Yildiz acknowledged that it would not be possible for Turkey to build 100 percent of a nuclear plant, but “a good majority” could be made with national resources.
He said the government would not be waiting until the first two nuclear plants become operational to decide on the third one because choosing a site takes two years.
Turkey’s first nuclear plant is planned for a site at Akkuyu on the Mediterranean coast in the south of the country.
Russia and Turkey signed an intergovernmental agreement for cooperation on the construction and operation of the plant on 12 May 2010. Russia’s state-owned nuclear vendor Rusatom Overseas said the plan is to build four 1,200-megawatt Generation III+ NPP 2006 pressurised water reactor units.
The Turkish government also signed an agreement to give exclusive negotiating rights to the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries-GDF Suez consortium to build a nuclear plant in the Black Sea province of Sinop.
If it goes ahead, the plant, which could be Turkey’s second, will have four Atmea1 reactor units, a design developed by the Areva-Mitsubishi Heavy Industries joint venture Atmea.
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