AtkinsRealis will conduct a feasibility study for a potential multi-unit nuclear project in Turkiye, with an engineering design study planned by 2028.
AtkinsRealis said on Thursday it would conduct a feasibility study for an expansion of Turkiye’s nuclear power program, as the country looks to add to a Russian-built plant under construction on its southern coast.
The agreement was signed by AtkinsRealis subsidiary Candu Energy on the sidelines of the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Turkiye. The deal is with Turkish state-owned nuclear energy company TUNAS and includes discussions on a plan for a six-unit, 4.5-gigawatt plant in Turkiye, according to AtkinsRealis President, Nuclear, Joe St. Julian.
AtkinsRealis said it would carry out a comprehensive study to be completed by the end of 2027 for a potential multi-unit nuclear project, as well as front-end engineering and design (FEED) work. The parties plan to complete an engineering design study by 2028, before a final investment decision, St. Julian said.
TUNAS said the study would evaluate technical aspects, including the site, adaptation of the CANDU reactor technology to that site, and the operation of the plant, in addition to the project’s financing.
Turkiye is aiming to expand its nuclear program beyond the 4.8-gigawatt Akkuyu plant under construction by Russia’s Rosatom in the Mediterranean province of Mersin. Sites in the Black Sea province of Sinop and the northwestern Thrace region have been identified as potential locations for new plants.
Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Ankara aims to raise nuclear capacity to 10 GW by 2040 and expects nuclear power to meet 11 per cent of electricity demand by then. He has described 2027 as a decision year for plans in Sinop or Thrace.
St. Julian said there was a roadmap in place for discussions around financing, adding that it would be a “typical debt versus equity split.” Canada would anchor the debt through its export credit agency, with credit financing with other nations and commercial loans making up the remainder, he said.
First electricity from the planned plant was expected in 2036, St. Julian said.
The deal advances Turkiye’s goal of expanding nuclear power beyond its first plant, Akkuyu, which has faced repeated delays. It also follows the upgrade of Canada-Turkiye relations to a “strategic partnership” last month, with nuclear cooperation topping the agenda.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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