Turkey is approaching a major change in its electricity system as the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant moves through construction and commissioning. The country has never operated a commercial nuclear reactor, but four large units are being built on the Mediterranean coast in Mersin Province. The government also wants nuclear power to become a permanent part of the national energy mix rather than a single-project addition.
The immediate focus is Akkuyu’s first electricity. The longer-term question is whether Turkey can turn one Russian-built plant into a broader nuclear programme with additional sites, domestic industrial participation, trained personnel, effective regulation, and a workable approach to radioactive waste and spent fuel.
Akkuyu Is Bringing Turkey to the Edge of Nuclear Generation
Akkuyu consists of four Russian-designed VVER-1200 pressurized water reactors. Each unit has a gross electrical capacity of about 1,200 megawatts, giving the full station a planned gross capacity of 4.8 gigawatts. All four units remain officially classified as under construction.
Unit 1 received its commissioning permit in November 2023. Progress continued into 2026, including installation of generator transformers, preparations for cold and hot testing, and completion of the passive heat-removal system. Unit 2 received a commissioning permit from Turkey’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority in March 2026, followed by authorization for pre-commissioning work.
The Turkish government has said it aims to produce the first electricity from Akkuyu in 2026. That target should be understood as a commissioning goal rather than proof that commercial operation has already begun. Testing, regulatory approvals, grid connection, and performance verification must be completed before a new reactor can enter stable commercial service.
When all four units are operating, the plant is expected to generate about 35 billion kilowatt-hours annually and meet roughly one-tenth of Turkey’s electricity demand, although the exact share will depend on national consumption at that time.
The Build-Own-Operate Model Gives Russia a Large Role
Akkuyu uses a build-own-operate model. The project company is organized under Turkish law, but the development has been led and financed by Russia’s Rosatom group. The Russian side supplies the reactor technology, provides major financing, supports fuel arrangements, and will play the central operating role.
The structure reduced the need for the Turkish state to finance and operate its first plant alone, while giving the project access to an experienced nuclear vendor and workforce. It also helped revive Turkey’s nuclear ambitions after several earlier attempts to establish a commercial programme did not proceed.
The model creates a strategic tension. Turkey wants nuclear power partly to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels, especially natural gas. Akkuyu can support that objective by providing large volumes of domestic electricity without continuous gas imports. However, it also creates a long-term relationship with Russia in technology, fuel, finance, maintenance, and operating expertise.
Nuclear energy therefore changes the form of Turkey’s external energy dependence rather than eliminating it completely. Its strategic value will partly depend on how much expertise, manufacturing capacity, and regulatory knowledge Turkey develops at home.
Local Industry and Workforce Development Are Becoming Core Goals
Turkey increasingly presents Akkuyu as an industrial and skills project as well as a power station. The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources reported that the project’s localization rate had risen above 50 percent by 2025. Turkish companies have participated in construction, equipment supply, logistics, engineering support, and other parts of the project.
More than 300 Turkish students were sent to Russia for nuclear education and training, and many have moved into work connected to Akkuyu. This workforce is important because a newcomer country cannot rely indefinitely on foreign personnel for regulation, operations, maintenance, emergency planning, radiation protection, and technical oversight.
Domestic firms that learn nuclear quality standards may compete for work at additional plants, while regulators and public institutions gain practical experience from licensing and inspection. High-value components, fuel services, specialist engineering, and reactor technology will nevertheless remain dependent on international suppliers during the early stages of the programme.
The realistic objective is gradual growth in Turkish participation across construction, selected equipment, services, operations, and programme management rather than immediate control over the complete reactor supply chain.
Nuclear Power Is Intended to Support a Larger and Cleaner Electricity System
Turkey’s interest in nuclear power is linked to energy security, rising electricity demand, and emissions reduction. The country has expanded wind and solar power rapidly, but it also continues to use coal and natural gas. Nuclear plants can provide large amounts of low-carbon electricity independently of daily weather conditions.
The 2022 National Energy Plan projected 7.2 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2035 and stated that new nuclear plants would be needed in addition to Akkuyu. More recent government statements have raised the long-term ambition to about 20 gigawatts by 2050, including 12 large reactors and approximately 5 gigawatts of small modular reactors.
These targets place nuclear power beside renewable expansion rather than in competition with it. Wind and solar can provide a growing share of annual generation, while nuclear plants can add stable output. The system will still require storage, stronger transmission, flexible generation, and demand management.
The 2050 goal would require Turkey to complete Akkuyu, select technologies and partners for additional sites, mobilize major financing, expand the workforce, and maintain political support over several decades.
Sinop and Thrace Will Decide Whether Akkuyu Becomes a Fleet
Turkey has long considered Sinop on the Black Sea coast for a second nuclear power plant. An earlier partnership with Japan did not proceed, but the site remains central to government planning. A third project has been discussed for the Thrace region in northwestern Turkey.
The government identified 2026 as a possible decision year for Sinop and Thrace. Negotiations have involved several potential technology partners, but no final supplier and commercial structure had been confirmed at the beginning of the year. Turkey has said it will judge proposals according to technology, price, localization, and human-resource development.
The outcome will determine whether Akkuyu remains a stand-alone Russian project or becomes the first part of a diversified fleet. Choosing a different supplier for a later plant could reduce dependence on one vendor, but it would also increase complexity through separate training, licensing, spare parts, and fuel arrangements.
Small modular reactors form another part of the long-term strategy. Their role will depend on commercial availability, licensing decisions, cost, and whether smaller units can serve industrial regions or parts of the grid that do not require another four-reactor station.
Regulation, Waste, and Operating Performance Will Shape Public Confidence
Turkey’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority is responsible for licensing and oversight as the country moves from construction into operation. The transition raises the importance of inspection, emergency preparedness, cybersecurity, environmental monitoring, operator competence, and communication with nearby communities.
Spent fuel and radioactive waste will become long-term national responsibilities even where some fuel-related services occur abroad. Turkey will need reliable storage, funding for decommissioning and waste management, clear institutional responsibility, and a long-term disposal policy.
The most important early test will be Akkuyu’s actual operating record. Safe commissioning, dependable generation, transparent regulation, and controlled costs would strengthen the case for further plants. Serious delays, operational problems, or unresolved financial disputes would make expansion more difficult.
Turkey’s Nuclear Future Extends Beyond First Electricity
Akkuyu is close to turning Turkey from a nuclear newcomer into a nuclear-generating country, but first electricity is only the start. The deeper task is building a durable national system around the reactors: regulation, skilled personnel, industrial capability, grid planning, security, waste management, and public oversight.
If Turkey completes Akkuyu and makes credible decisions on Sinop and Thrace, nuclear power could become a significant source of low-carbon electricity and reduce exposure to imported fuels. If follow-on projects remain undecided, Akkuyu may still be important, but the wider 20-gigawatt ambition will remain beyond reach.
