Türkiye is reportedly preparing a new law aimed at facilitating the construction of small modular reactors (SMRs) as part of its strategy to diversify its energy sources and complement its prospective nuclear power plants.
Türkiye has been looking to embrace nuclear power as part of its renewable energy push, seeking to integrate cleaner resources into its energy mix.
It plans to build at least three nuclear power plants for 15,000 megawatts (MW) of nuclear generation capacity.
A four-reactor plant, Akkuyu, is under construction in the Mediterranean region and is being built by Russian conglomerate Rosatom. It plans a second one in the Black Sea province of Sinop and a third in the northwest region of Thrace.
Reports have earlier suggested talks with China, Russia and South Korea for the construction of the second and the third plant.
Türkiye aims to complement conventional nuclear plants with up to 5,000 MW of SMRs to diversify its electricity production mix.
The $20 billion (TL 684.50 billion), 4,800 MW Akkuyu plant will bring Türkiye into the small club of nations with civil nuclear energy. It is ultimately expected to produce around 10% of local electricity production.
The plant's opening has been delayed after Germany's Siemens Energy withheld key parts, prompting Rosatom to buy them in China, officials have said.
The decision is said to stem from Western sanctions over Russia's war in Ukraine.
Türkiye had initially planned to start up the first reactor in 2023, but delays have pushed that to next year, with the remaining reactors to come online by the end of 2028.
Current nuclear energy law does not directly refer to modular reactors, so new legislation is needed to facilitate building SMRs, a senior official told Reuters.
These reactors, with a capacity of 300-400 MW, are seen as a more cost-effective and space-efficient alternative to conventional nuclear plants, allowing them to be built closer to consumption centers and at lower costs.
"Relevant institutions have already begun working on the draft law on SMRs," the official said, adding that the government wants Parliament to pass it next year.
The country has limited oil and natural gas resources and has been investing in renewable sources like wind and solar for over a decade to meet its increasing electricity demand. However, as the share of intermittent renewables grows, the need for steady power sources, like nuclear, also increases.
Türkiye has been in talks with the United States and China about building small modular reactors.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar on Tuesday traveled to China for talks on nuclear cooperation and mining.
In a post on social media platform X, Bayraktar highlighted the potential for cooperation with state-owned China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) during discussions with its Vice President Qiao Gang.
"In addition to the 12 reactors we plan to build at Akkuyu, Sinop, and Thrace, which will total 15,000 MW, we also want to add 5,000 MW of SMRs to our nuclear energy portfolio," he said.
Bayraktar reiterated the nation's goal of reaching 20,000 MW of nuclear energy capacity by 2050 to support carbon neutrality and reduce energy dependence.
