Türkiye targets initial Akkuyu reactor startup within weeks

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Türkiye aims to begin the initial startup of its first nuclear reactor at Akkuyu within weeks, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said at the COP31 climate…

Türkiye aims to begin the initial startup of its first nuclear reactor at Akkuyu within weeks, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said at the COP31 climate summit on Nov. 13.

Bayraktar outlined the plans at events organized by Russia’s state nuclear company Rosatom, which is building the plant in the southern province of Mersin.

The physical startup stage involves loading nuclear fuel and initiating the reactor’s first self-sustaining chain reaction.

Bayraktar said Türkiye aimed to reach 10 gigawatts of installed nuclear capacity by 2040 and at least 20 GW by 2050.

The plans envisage at least 15 GW from conventional, large-scale reactors, while Türkiye is considering at least 5 GW from small modular reactors.

The combined nuclear capacity could meet around 10–12 percent of Türkiye’s electricity needs by 2050 and help reduce carbon emissions, he said.

Bayraktar linked the expansion to Türkiye’s call at COP31 for electricity to account for 35 percent of global final energy consumption by 2035.

He described the electrification target as ambitious and difficult, but said nuclear power would be needed to achieve it.

Bayraktar said electrification was also a central objective of Türkiye’s National Energy 2040 vision, with energy efficiency and greater use of renewable sources forming other parts of the strategy.

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