June
22, 2026, Büyükeceli, Mersin, Türkiye. – Rosatom State Corporation management delegation headed by Director
General Alexey Likhachev visited the Akkuyu NPP site (under construction by
Rosatom State Corporation). During the visit, the head of Rosatom got
acquainted with the progress of the start-up and adjustment works at Unit 1,
where the construction works has been fully completed and active preparations
are underway for the stage of cold-hot running-in of the reactor plant.
During the site tour Alexey Likhachev visited the central hall of the reactor compartment of Unit 1, where he was informed of the successful completion of dummy fuel assemblies loading into the reactor, as well as the completion of the reactor assembly. After loading the dummy reactor core, specialists installed a block of protective tubes and the upper reactor unit, completing one of the most important stages of preparing the reactor plant for cold-hot running-in.
"We have registered the completion of construction works. The cold hydraulic tests of the reactor started tonight, and this work will be completed within a few weeks. There will be just a few weeks left before the start of launch operations, and based on the results of all the work done, an overhaul will be carried out and adjustments will be made to the final stage. This inspiring moment can be compared to the final hundred-meter race on a 42-kilometer marathon course. It is the very last dash when you need to mobilize all your forces, and a very important topic of the final dash is the launch of the maintenance staff work. The staff of Unit 1 is 1,930 people, more than 40 % of these specialists are Turkish citizens. We are proud that these are graduates of our universities who are currently undergoing practical training at Russian simulators and nuclear power plants," Rosatom Director General noted.
About the stage of cold-hot run-in of the reactor plant
Cold-hot
run-in is a key stage of start-up and adjustment operations. During the
"cold" phase, specialists will conduct hydraulic tests to confirm the
density and strength of the reactor plant elements, perform circulating
flushing of the first and second circuits, adjust the water-chemical regime,
and check the thermohydraulic, strength, vibration, and dynamic characteristics
of the reactor plant and primary circuit equipment for compliance with design
values.
The
"hot" run-in will have to confirm the reliability of the reactor
plant's equipment and systems in operating modes. At this sub-stage,
specialists will check the operation of the four main circulation pumping units
at a temperature of at least 260 ° C, blow steam through the main steam
pipelines, perform control operations on safety systems, and check the control
and protection systems of the reactor plant.
About Akkuyu NPP
Akkuyu NPP
is the first nuclear power plant being built in the Republic of Türkiye. The
Akkuyu NPP project includes four power units equipped with Generation 3+ VVER
reactors of Russian design.
The capacity of each power unit will
be 1200 MW. Akkuyu NPP is the first project in the global nuclear industry
being implemented according to the Build-Own-Operate business model.
Russia is developing cooperation with all interested countries. Implementation of the major international projects is also going on. Rosatom and its divisions take part in this work.
