Türkiye is in contact with China regarding the construction of a planned third nuclear power plant (NPP) and is surveying sites for a fourth, a top ministry official said.
Russia’s Rosatom is building the country’s first nuclear power plant, Akkuyu NPP, in its southern Mersin province, with the first reactor expected to go online next year.
The country plans to build a second one in the northern province of Sinop and a third in the northwestern province of Kırklareli.
Türkiye needs to generate slightly over 11% of electricity through nuclear energy by 2035, and 29% by 2053 to reach its climate goals, Salih Sarı, the head of nuclear infrastructure at the energy ministry told a local nuclear industry conference Wednesday.
"We are pressing ahead with site surveys for a fourth nuclear plant project... Türkiye needs 20 GW of nuclear power generation capacity for its 2053 climate goals," Sarı said, according to a statement.
Türkiye is in contact with Russia and South Korea for its planned second plant and China for a third plant, Sarı said.
It is also exploring small modular reactor technology with British, French and U.S. companies.
The first nuclear plant, Akkuyu in April received the initial batch of nuclear ceremony, enabling Türkiye to gain the status of a country boasting nuclear energy.
Akkuyu NPP is Türkiye's "biggest joint investment" with Russia.
Türkiye and Russia signed an intergovernmental agreement in 2010 to build the plant. Akkuyu will comprise four Russian-designed VVER generation 3+ reactors, with 1,200 megawatts (MW) capacity each.
The foundation of the first reactor was laid in April 2018, while the construction of the second, third and fourth units started in June 2020, March 2021 and June 2022, respectively.
The three remaining units 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).
Once completed, the plant is expected to produce 35 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually and will meet about 10% of domestic electricity needs.
According to government figures, if the power plant started operating today, it could single-handedly provide enough electricity for a city of about 15 million people, such as Istanbul.
The plant, which will have an estimated service life of 60 years with an extension of another 20 years, will produce carbon-free energy around the clock.