The laying of the foundation for the first reactor of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant (NPP) was completed on March 8, Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom said on Thursday.
The achievement of laying more than 17,000 cubic meters of self-compacting concrete caste for the foundation slab marks a milestone for the Akkuyu NPP's construction, according to Rosatom's statement. Construction of the exterior and interior walls of the reactor building will be the next operational stage for the first unit, while construction of concrete bases for the auxiliary reactor building and the emergency control room building are simultaneously underway.
"Like all technological options used during the Akkuyu NPP construction, the concreting of the foundation slab of unit 1 meets all modern requirements of the world nuclear community, IAEA's [International Atomic Energy Agency] safety standards, and both international and national requirements of the Republic of Turkey," said Anastasia Zoteeva, chief executive officer of the project developer company Akkuyu Nuclear.
Currently, 70 percent of the construction site is ready, and the remaining will be finished by the end of the year. Under the "limited work permit", which the company obtained in November 2018, the engineering studies paperwork for the second reactor is already in progress.
Zoteeva explained that the company expects to obtain the main construction license for unit 2, after which the foundation slab will be laid. The company is already preparing the necessary documentation to obtain the construction license for the third reactor.
Rosatom is constructing Turkey's first nuclear plant in the southern province of Mersin. The plant, comprising four units, each with a capacity of 1,200 megawatts, will meet about 10 percent of Turkey's electricity needs.
(Anadolu Agency)
