Turkey on Thursday launched the construction of the fourth and last reactor of its first nuclear power plant that is being built by Russia on the Mediterranean coast.

The new phase of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) project that marks the largest energy project implemented by Turkey and Russia was unveiled in a groundbreaking ceremony attended by officials from both countries.

Russia’s state nuclear energy firm Rosatom is building the plant on the Mediterranean coast in southern Mersin province. The two countries signed a cooperation agreement in 2010 and began construction in 2018.

"The light at the end of the tunnel has now started to appear in Turkey’s nuclear energy journey that has lasted more than half a century," Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez said.

The first unit of the plant, out of a total of four, is scheduled to become operational by the middle of 2023, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey.

Once completed, the plant, which is expected to produce 35 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually, will fulfill about 10% of domestic electricity needs, Dönmez told the ceremony also attended by Rosatom head Alexei Likhachev and other high-level officials.

The plant in its current shape is one of the largest construction sites in the world, the minister said.

Nuclear power is an important option in meeting the increasing energy demand in Turkey after the pandemic and for global emissions reduction, Dönmez said.

Life service of 60%

The remaining three reactors are due to start operation by the end of 2026, at a rate of one per year to ultimately have a total installed capacity of 4,800 megawatts (MW).

The construction of the second unit started in June 2020, before Turkey in November that year granted a construction license for the third unit.

The plant, which will have an estimated service life of 60 years with a possibility to extend it for another 20 years, will produce carbon-free energy around the clock.

As a baseload plant, it will play a leading role in reducing dependence on imported energy resources, especially natural gas.

The giant project is expected to employ around 15,000 people during its peak construction period, and about 4,000 people during its operations.

Turkey aims to take steps for second and third nuclear plants as soon as possible, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in September last year.

Akkuyu is the world’s first NPP project implemented through a build-own-operate model. Under the long-term contract, Rosatom has agreed to provide the power plant’s design, construction, maintenance, operation and decommissioning.

The firm holds a 99.2% stake in the project that is estimated to cost around $20 billion, marking the biggest investment in Turkey’s history implemented in a single site.

The project has also seen Turkish engineers gaining the required training and experience to operate nuclear plants through their education abroad.

To date, 246 out of 317 students have completed nuclear power education in Russia and are working at Akkuyu, while the remaining 71 are still being trained.

"Akkuyu will play an important role not only with the electricity it will produce but also with its contribution to our green energy goal," Dönmez said.

Akkuyu will prevent 35 million tons of carbon emissions per year and 2.1 billion tons of carbon emissions over its lifetime.

Long nuclear journey

Turkey’s intention to build a nuclear power plant on its land dates back to the 1950s and 1960s.

In 1955, Turkey became one of the first countries to sign the "Agreement for Cooperation on the Civil Uses of Atomic Energy."

The agreement was followed by the establishment of the Turkish Atomic Energy Authority, which was set up for the scientific and technical development of the state and to train personnel.

In 1955, Turkey became one of the first countries to sign the "Agreement for Cooperation on Civil Uses of Atomic Energy."

The first research on the creation of a nuclear power plant began in 1965. In 1974, the Akkuyu site in the Gülnar district of Mersin was considered suitable for the creation of the first plant.

Until 1976, detailed land surveys were conducted there, and as a result of the observations, the site obtained a license to build a nuclear power plant.

After a long break due to financial and political reasons, Turkey decided to turn to Russia’s many years of experience in the field of nuclear technology.

"Nuclear energy has become a realistic goal for Turkey, rather than a dream," Dönmez said.