Speaking at the 12th Nuclear Power Plants Summit (NPPES) at the Süleyman Demirel Cultural Center of Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Sarı said that nuclear energy is a necessity for Turkey in terms of security of supply, reducing dependence on imported resources and carbon emissions, high-technology development, strong industrial ecosystem, skilled new workforce and energy independence.
Recalling Türkiye's goal of 7.2 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity by 2035 and 20 gigawatts by 2053, Sarı said: “In addition, we will continue to take concrete steps in the areas of research, industry, human resources, fuel cycle, testing and certification to become a self-sufficient country in all areas of nuclear energy.” he said.
Pointing out that the construction work on the first unit of Akkuyu NPP has almost been completed and the testing processes are still ongoing, Sarı said:
“The construction and installation work of the other three units continues as planned, with our 25,000 local employees contributing. As a result of these feverish studies, we aim to realize the first electricity production from our Akkuyu power plant this year. In addition to Akkuyu, we continue to work on the implementation of two other conventional nuclear power plant projects, one in our Sinop province and the other in our Thrace region.”
Stating that the Sinop field has been prepared for investments and that field studies in the Thrace field will continue taking into account international standards, Sarı said: “We are discussing technology, financing, localization and fuel cycle issues in detail with technology owner countries and companies for both of our projects based on competitive price offers. Our aim is to take the domestic industrial contribution and human resources development we gained in our Akkuyu project to a higher level in these projects.” he said.
Stating that an important level has been reached in the field of localization in the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, Sarı said: “To date, more than 300 local companies in Akkuyu are engaged in construction, material and equipment supply, testing, certification and engineering services, reaching a business volume of about $12 billion. Our Ministry continues to evaluate the capacity and capabilities of our industry in line with the needs of the nuclear sector, with the Nuclear Energy Supplier Information System (NETBİS) established by it. encourages ours companies to attract domestic and foreign investors.” “and ensures their integration into national and international nuclear supply chains.” he said.
ITU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal also stated that Türkiye's first nuclear technopark will be built at ITU and said, “This is a great excitement for us, but even more so, it is an important responsibility.” he said.
Mandal drew attention to the importance of establishing the Nuclear Technology Research Center, which involves all stakeholders in the ecosystem for the development of the nuclear sector in Turkey.
“A strong, prepared and documented domestic industry”
Stating that Türkiye wants to be a country that understands, develops and exports nuclear technology and has a say in international nuclear supply chains, Seyit Ardıç, President of Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO), said: “There is only one way to achieve this goal: a strong, prepared and documented domestic industry.” he said.
Ardıç explained that as ASO, they founded Türkiye's first nuclear industry cluster, NÜKSAK, in 2017 and said: “Since then, we have focused on a single goal: that the part produced by an Anatolian company can take its place in a nuclear power plant that meets the most demanding quality standards in the world.” he said.
Explaining that this network built with NÜKSAK was made visible, accessible and manageable with NETBİS, Ardıç said, “Now the question is: 'Who can do this job?' You will surely find the answer to this question in our registered, tested and constantly updated supplier pool. “Translating localization into lasting success in a power plant depends on a documented, traceable and operational supplier network.” he said.
Alikaan Çiftçi, President of the Nuclear Industry Association (NSD), said that nuclear energy has once again become the center of countries' competitiveness and that Türkiye is determined to be an actor in this transformation.
Stating that the volume of localization in the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant is not only an economic magnitude, but also a concrete indication that the Turkish industry can meet international nuclear quality standards, Çiftçi said: “We have started to see Turkish companies in El Dabaa, Hinkley Point C and various international projects. These are important first steps.” he said.
Appealing to international stakeholders, Çiftçi said: “The Turkish industry is now ready to be a reliable production, supply and technology partner not only for nuclear projects in Turkey but also for the regional and global nuclear value chain.” he said.
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