Türkiye’s first nuclear plant, the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) Project, has procured approximately TL 4 billion ($210 million) worth of domestic materials from industrialists, Turkish Standards Institute (TSE) head Mahmut Sami Şahin said Thursday.
These materials were used as a result of the TSE's authorization as an "approved material organization," he said.
"We aim for this amount to exceed $1 billion upon completion of the power plant," he said.
The construction of the first unit of Akkuyu NPP, a joint project between Türkiye and Russia that aims to reduce Türkiye's dependence on imported energy resources and enhance energy supply security, commenced in April 2018.
In an effort to promote domestic production, the TSE initiated negotiations with domestic producers in 2012 for the supply of "Safety Level 4 and products that do not fall under any security class" for the construction of Akkuyu NPP," Şahin said, noting that these negotiations were coordinated by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. On Jan. 7, 2020, the TSE was authorized by Akkuyu Nuclear AŞ as the "Main Materials Science Institution" in Türkiye.
Şahin stated that, according to the authorization, the TSE is responsible for the testing and certification of products and equipment to be procured from domestic manufacturers to be used in the construction of nuclear power plants, to cover project norms.
In addition, Şahin emphasized that the TSE is responsible for providing technical support in preparing material and base material manufacturing procedure documents to be prepared by the manufacturers according to the technical specifications of the material manufacturers.
The institute provides technical support for manufacturers in various areas such as equipment manufacturing, material testing, design and seismic calculations and nuclear power standardization, he said.
The Akkuyu NPP will be inaugurated at the end of this month and is expected to produce 35 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually once completed and will meet about 10% of domestic electricity needs.
Şahin commented that the TSE is a competent institution that actively participates in international standardization organizations. It offers a wide range of services, including conformity assessments like tests, inspections, surveillance and certification.
He also pointed out that the TSE, which helps maintain the high-quality production of industrialists in accordance with international standards, has attained a prestigious brand value, which is preferred not only in the country but also in the international arena.
"Leading the establishment of the Institute of Standardization and Metrology of Islamic Countries standardization organizations in Turkic republics under one roof, the TSE eliminates the possible technical obstacles that our industrialists may experience with the strong business relationships it has established with organizations in many countries of the world," he added.
"In line with the Technology-Oriented Industry Move, the TSE aims to provide innovative products with high value-added production, an increase in productivity in the industry, standardization and conformity assessment services in the fields of digital transformation, in line with the aims of the Ministry of Industry and Technology. While supporting entrepreneurship by laying the groundwork for the production of goods or services, it also plays a pioneering role with its experience and experience in the field," he added.