Name of the Project
Akkuyu nuclear power plant (NPP) project.

Location
Mersin, Turkey.

Project Owner/s
Akkuyu Nuclear, comprising Inter RAO UES JSC, Rosenergoatom JSC, Atomtechenergo JSC, Atomenergoremont JSC and Rusatom Energy International JSC.

Project Description
The Akkuyu NPP will be based on an NPP-2006 serial project. The 4 800 MWe plant will comprise four VVER1200 reactors and is expected to meet about 10% of Turkey's electricity needs.

The power unit includes a reactor plant and a turbine plant.

The primary circuit is radioactive and comprises a reactor, four reactor coolant loops, four reactor coolant pumps, heating parts of four steam generators and one steam pressuriser.

The secondary circuit is not radioactive. It comprises steam generators; fresh steam conduits; one turbine unit comprising a turbine plant and a turbine generator; condensate pumps; a system of low-pressure regenerative heaters; a turbine condensate system; deaerators; a feedwater system, including feedwater pumps; and a system of high-pressure regenerative heaters.

The turbine is equipped with a condensing unit and regenerative installation for heating the feedwater and separators, with unregulated steam extraction for the NPP’s auxiliary needs and for heating chemically treated water additives in the circuit.

Capital Expenditure
The project is estimated at $20-billion.

Planned Start/End Date
Construction of the first unit began in 2018, with startup planned for 2023. Construction of Unit 2 started in April 2020.

Latest Developments
Another important stage of construction has been completed at Unit 1 of the Akkuyu NPP. Main circulation pipeline welding, which had started on March 19, 2022, was completed on May 25. Within 68 days, the specialists welded all 28 joints of the pipeline.

The welding works were undertaken by the main Akkuyu NPP construction contractor.

On completion of the welding works on every seam, nondestructive testing operators assessed the quality of the welded joints using ultrasonic, capillary and other control methods. The heat treatment of the joints was conducted in parallel with the welding works. At the next stage, specialists will have to make special stainless steel overlays to cover the inner surface of the seams that will serve as an additional protection for the pipeline walls.

Meanwhile, construction workers started pouring concrete into the foundation slab of the turbine hall building at Akkuyu NPP Unit 4 construction area on May 27. To ensure maximum strength, 17 500 m³ of concrete and 3 500 t of reinforcement will be placed in the foundation slab. The concrete foundation will be 7 m high.

The foundation plate of the building, in which the turbine plant will be located, comprises 12 zones. About 680 m3 of concrete will be laid in the first zone, and after that the turbine generator plant main cooling water system will be installed. It consists of preassembled 3-m-diameter pipelines.

The start of concreting was preceded by the foundation pit preparation, including construction of the concrete bedding of the foundation with a volume of 38 000 m³ of concrete, the installation of waterproofing and reinforcement of the foundation slab.

The total area of ​​the foundation slab of turbine hall building, which is one of the most important Unit 4 facilities, is almost 6 000 m².

After the concrete reaches its design strength, a special commission comprising the representatives of Nuclear Regulatory Authority and an independent construction inspection organisation will check the quality of the concrete. Unit 4 turbine hall building foundation slab construction will be considered as completed thereafter.

The building houses systems and equipment pertaining to the power output. This includes the turbine plant, deaerator (a device for removing water from gas impurities), feed pumps and auxiliary equipment. The turbine hall building is part of the secondary circuit, where the thermal energy of water vapor is converted into rotational energy, and then into electrical energy in the generator.

In October 2021, Akkuyu Nuclear received the construction licence for Unit 4. The document allows for all construction and installation works at the unit to start including nuclear safety related facilities. The construction and installation works are being conducted simultaneously at the construction areas of all four Akkuyu NPP power units. In parallel, general-purpose buildings and auxiliary facilities necessary for the NPP operation are being erected.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Rosatom (construction of VVER-1200 reactors under a build, own, operate model); Titan2 Ic İçtaş İnşaat Anonim Şirketİ (construction contractor); GE Steam Power and AEM Technology, a joint venture between AtomEnergoMash and General Electric, or GE (design and supply of the equipment and systems for the whole conventional island); JSC Tyazhmash (core melt trap); and Nukem Technologies and NIKIMT-Atomstroy JSC (supply of the equipment for compacting SRW).

Contact Details for Project Information
Akkuyu NPP JSC, tel +90 312 442 60 00, fax +90 312 442 60 16 or email info@akkuyu.com.