Turkey's Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant Delayed Due to Sanctions

On July 8, 2024, Russia’s Newsweek reported that Alexei Likhachev, General Director of Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom), stated that the Akkuyu nuclear power project in Turkey had been delayed due to Western sanctions. Although Rosatom itself has not been subjected to Western sanctions, some of its subsidiaries have not been spared—including ASE JSC, which develops nuclear safety technologies, and the Tocmash Central Research Institute for Precision Engineering, which manufactures uranium enrichment centrifuges. In April 2023, the U.S. Department of State issued a statement indicating that, given Rosatom’s use of energy exports—including in the nuclear sector—to exert political and economic pressure on its global customers, it would impose restrictive measures against Rosatom. The Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant comprises four VVER-1200 units, with first concrete dates (FCD) occurring sequentially in April 2018, June 2020, March 2021, and July 2022.

First Unit of Turkey’s Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant Approved for Operation

Akkuyu Nuclear Company announced on Tuesday that it had received authorization from Turkish authorities to begin commissioning the first unit of the country’s inaugural nuclear power plant—built by Russia. According to a company statement, this authorization initiates the final phase of construction: startup, commissioning, and operation. The statement noted that the next step is obtaining an operating license for the first unit, which will permit loading nuclear fuel into the reactor and commencing pre-startup control operations. It added: “Currently, Akkuyu Nuclear experts continue preparing technical documentation required for the license application.” Under construction in Mersin Province in southern Turkey, the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant is designed for a 60-year operational lifetime, with a possible 20-year extension. In 2010, Turkey and Russia signed an agreement under which Russia’s state-owned Rosatom would build and operate the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, featuring four nuclear reactor units, each with a generating capacity of 1,200 megawatts.

Russia's Rosatom Targets Year-End Nuclear Start-Up at Turkey's Akkuyu

Oct 16, 2026

Rosatom expects the first reactor at Turkey's Akkuyu nuclear plant to achieve criticality before year-end, marking a transition from construction to operation. The $20 billion project faces geopolitical risks but remains on track for physical start-up in December.

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Russia's Rosatom Targets Year-End Nuclear Start-Up at Turkey's Akkuyu

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