OREANDA-NEWS. On August 10, 2009 Director General of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation Sergey Kiriyenko and Acting Director of the Turkish Atomic Energy Authority (Turkiye Atom Enerjisi Kurumu, TAEK) Zafer Alper signed two inter-governmental agreements: an agreement for cooperation in the field of peaceful use of nuclear energy and an agreement for early notification of nuclear accident and exchange of information on nuclear facilities. The agreements were signed in the framework of the visit of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to Turkey, reported the press-centre of Minatom.

The objective of the first 10-year agreement is to ensure firm legal basis for the actively developing Russian-Turkish cooperation in the field of peaceful use of nuclear energy. The agreement covers a wide spectrum of possible activities: research and development in the field of peaceful use of nuclear energy; controlled thermonuclear fusion; engineering, construction, commissioning, operation, modernization, testing, maintenance and decommissioning of commercial and research nuclear reactors; supply of nuclear materials, particularly, fuel assemblies and equipment for commercial and research nuclear reactors as well as nuclear fuel cycle services; prospecting and mining of uranium deposits; development and production of components and materials for commercial and research nuclear reactors; regulatory activity in the field of nuclear and radiation safety; development of improved and innovative reactor and nuclear fuel cycle technologies; nuclear and radiological safety, environment protection, emergency response, treatment of radioactive waste; recording and control of nuclear and radioactive materials and physical protection of nuclear and radioactive materials, facilities and sources of radiation; production and use of radio-isotopes.

The agreement will be automatically prolonged after each 5 years.

The second open-ended agreement stipulates that in case of possible accident the parties should notify each other of possible trans-border transfer of radioactive matters and regulates the procedure for exchange of information about nuclear facilities: such information should be provided upon request but at least once a year.

In 2007 the Turkish authorities decided to diversify the country’s energy sector and to develop nuclear energy (NPPs in Akkuyu in Antalia and in Sinop, Black Sea shore).

In Mar 2008 Turkey announced a tender for the right to build its first nuclear power plant in Akkuyu on “build-own-operate” terms. The potential supplier should ensure financing, construction and operation, while Turkey – licensing and guaranteed purchase of electric energy for 15 years till the end of 2030.

A consortium of Russian Atomstroyexport, Inter RAO UES and Turkish Park Teknik offered to build four 1,200MW reactors and to sell its energy at a fixed price for 15 years and at a market price afterwards. The 1st unit is supposed to be launched in 2016, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th units in 2017, 2018 and 2019. 

The Consortium’s NPP-2006 project was approved by TAEK Dec 19 2009.