Russia and Turkey plan grid connection for Akkuyu plant

The 4800 MWe plant will comprise four VVER1200 reactors and is expected to meet about 10% of Turkey's electricity needs. Turkey aims to bring unit 1 online in 2023, the centenary of its foundation as a republic, while Turkish regulator TAEK granted JSC Akkuyu Nuklear a construction licence for unit 2 in September.

Within the framework of the agreement, the power generated by Akkuyu will be transmitted from its switchgear via 400 kV power lines to six transformer substations that are part of Turkey's unified energy system. The total length of the high-voltage lines that will be built as part of the Akkuyu power distribution scheme will exceed 1000 km.

"In a few years, Turkey will integrate a nuclear power plant into its power transmission system for the first time - an uninterrupted source of baseload generation of vast amounts of electricity," JSC Akkuyu Nuklear Anastasia Zoteeva said. "The agreement is a guarantee that the infrastructure of the Turkish transmission system will be ready for NPP connection and reliable transmission of generated electricity to consumers. Observance of the parameters of compatibility with the external electrical system is inextricably linked to ensuring a reliable and safe NPP operation, so the conclusion of the connection agreement can undoubtedly be considered to be one of the key stages in implementing the Akkuyu NPP project."

TEİAŞ, which is a company under the jurisdiction of Turkey’s Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, maintains a network of 68,204-km-long transmission lines, 736 transformer substations and 12 high-voltage transmission lines that connect Turkey with the neighbouring countries.