Rosatom replaces a Turkish contractor with a Russian one to complete a nuclear power plant in Turkey

July 30 () –

The company Akkuyu Nukleer AS, controlled by the Russian state company Rosatom, has canceled its contract with the Turkish construction company IC Ictas to opt for one controlled by Russian companies, TSM Enerji, to finish the Akkuyu nuclear power plant, in the city of Mersin, a project valued at 20,000 million dollars (euros).

Akkuyu Nukleer has reported the change in a statement published this Saturday in which it explains that the contractors participating in the project must have the “competence” to work at an “intense pace”, according to the Bloomberg news agency.

On Friday IC Ictas accused Rosatom of trying to “reduce the Turkish business presence” in the project. However, this Saturday the CEO of Akkuyu Nukleer, Anastasia Zoteeva, has assured that the number of Turkish companies and workers will continue to increase.

TSM Enerji, the new concessionaire, is owned by three Russian companies, according to Turkey’s trade registry.

The plant, with a capacity of 4,800 megawatts, aims to reduce Turkey’s dependence on imported energy. The contract was signed with Russia in 2010 and it is scheduled to start operations in 2023.