Mersin / Anatolia
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed, on Thursday, that his country has entered the club of nuclear energy countries in the world, through the “Akkuyu” plant in the state of Mersin.
This came in a speech he delivered during his participation, via video call, in the ceremony of supplying the “Akkuyu” station with the first nuclear fuel, accompanied by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Erdogan explained that with the supply of nuclear fuel, the “Akkuyu” plant gained its identity as a nuclear facility.
He added that all Akkuyu units will enter service successively until 2028, and the station will provide 10 percent of Turkey’s electricity needs.
He continued, “We have made Turkey one of the countries that use nuclear energy through the Akkuyu plant, after the European Commission described this energy as green.”
He pointed out that the Akkuyu nuclear plant was not affected by the earthquake that struck Turkey on February 6, an indication of the accuracy of the construction work carried out by local engineers and workers.
And he added, “The Akkuyu nuclear plant is the result of our largest joint investment with Russia, and when it enters service at its full capacity, about 35 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity will be produced annually.”
Erdogan stressed that the Akkuyu station will contribute to reducing Turkey’s natural gas imports by $1.5 billion annually, and will positively affect the increase in its national income.
He added, “In light of our experience with the Akkuyu station project, we will start at the earliest opportunity with our second and third stations, which are planned to be built in different regions.”
He continued, “We gathered today to share the joy of this great campaign that will place Turkey among the countries of the world that have nuclear capabilities.”
President Erdogan pointed out that his government has fulfilled its promise to the Turkish people by opening the Akkuyu nuclear plant.
He explained that there are 422 nuclear reactors currently in operation in the world, and that 57 reactors are still under construction.
He added, “The European Union provides 25 percent of its electricity needs from nuclear energy. Last year, the European Commission accepted nuclear energy as green energy.”
Erdogan thanked his counterpart Putin for his support for the “Akkuyu” nuclear project, and congratulated all the Turks and Russians in charge of establishing the plant.
He pointed out that 4 reactors were built at the “Akkuyu” nuclear plant, and that each of them has a capacity of 1200 megawatts.
Regarding its financing, Erdogan said: “Like many important projects in Turkey, the Akkuyu nuclear plant was implemented with a financing model that spared our country’s budget financial burdens.”
And he added, “This project, which has an investment value of $20 billion, was designed and built by the Russian Rosatom Corporation.”
He indicated that the Akkuyu plant meets the requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the International Advisory Group on Nuclear Safety and the European Union.
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