Wed Sep 11 08:42:57 UTC 2024: ## Turkey’s First Nuclear Plant Delayed as Siemens Withholds Parts, Russia Turns to China
**Mersin, Turkey** – The launch of Turkey’s first nuclear power plant, Akkuyu, has been delayed after German company Siemens Energy withheld essential parts, forcing Russia’s Rosatom, the project’s builder and owner, to seek alternatives in China.
Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar attributed the delay to Western sanctions imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. “Siemens’s non-delivery will push back the launch of the first reactor by a few months,” he told the state-run Anadolu Agency. “This decision likely stems from sanctions.”
The first reactor was initially planned for 2023 but has now been pushed to 2024. The remaining three reactors are slated to come online by 2028.
While a Siemens Energy spokesperson confirmed the non-delivery due to German export regulations, Bayraktar stated that Rosatom has already secured equivalent parts from Chinese companies.
“Rosatom already ordered alternative parts from Chinese firms, which will come from China,” he said, adding that Turkey may consider fines against Siemens Energy. “This attitude will make us question their position in future projects.”
The $20 billion Akkuyu project, a collaboration between Ankara and Rosatom since 2010, aims to generate around 10% of Turkey’s electricity. The plant, located in the Mediterranean province of Mersin, includes four reactors and will position Turkey as a new player in the field of civil nuclear energy.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan previously raised concerns about the delays in July, stating that Germany was holding up parts at customs.
“This has seriously bothered us,” Erdogan said. “I reminded German Chancellor Olaf Scholz of that in our bilateral meeting.”
Turkey, maintaining close ties with both Russia and Ukraine, opposes the sanctions imposed on Russia by the West. The Akkuyu project, however, remains a crucial symbol of cooperation between Ankara and Moscow.
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