World Nuclear News


Feb. 4, 2022

A cargo ship carrying materials and equipment for the Akkuyu nuclear
power plant – including the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) for unit 2 –
has arrived from Russia at the construction site on the southern coast
of Turkey. The RPV is now in storage onsite awaiting installation
later this year.

The ship left St Petersburg in northwest Russia on 23 November and,
after sailing more than 9000 kilometres, has now arrived at the
Eastern Cargo Terminal Vostochny at the Akkuyu construction site.
Among its cargo was the RPV for unit 2 as well as sections of the
second tier of inner containment for unit 3, pipes and other equipment
and materials.

The steel RPV – 12 metres in height, 4.5 metres wide and weighing 334
tonnes – has been unloaded and placed in a temporary storage place,
where it will be subject to an inspection.

“Production and delivery of the main equipment for Akkuyu NPP are
carried out precisely in accordance with the planned schedule,” said
Sergey Butckikh, first deputy CEO and director of NPP construction at
Akkuyu Nükleer AŞ.

Manufacture of the RPV for Akkuyu 2 began at Izhorskiye Zavody in
March 2019. The RPV for unit 1 was delivered to the construction site
in November 2020 and installed in June last year. The production of
the RPV for unit 3 continues at the Volgodonsk branch of
AEM-Technologies JSC of Atommash, part of Atomenergomash, the machine
production division of Russian state atomic energy corporation
Rosatom.

Rosatom is building four VVER-1200 reactors at Akkuyu, under a
so-called BOO (build-own-operate) model. Construction of the first
unit began in 2018, with startup planned for 2023. The 4800 MWe plant
is expected to meet about 10% of Turkey’s electricity needs.

Turkey’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority has approved the manufacture of
the power unit electrical equipment instrumentation and control for
Akkuyu units 1 and 2, Rosatom noted.