Hydraulic tests on the first unit of Turkey's Akkuyu nuclear power plant have been completed.

On the first unit of the Turkish nuclear power plant Akkuyu, hydraulic tests of the primary circuit system and equipment were successfully completed, thereby paving the way for the start of hot functional tests

During testing, the pressure in the primary circuit—which includes the reactor, the main circulating pumps, the steam generators, the pressurizer compressor and the main circulating pipeline—was raised to 24.5 megapascals (MPa), which is about one and a half times the reactor's normal operating pressure. The water temperature in the initial phase reached 135°C, while the condition of the equipment was checked for compliance with design requirements and international standards. An automated process control system (APCS) was used to monitor the parameters.

After the cold hydraulic tests, which began in June after loading the test fuel to verify the system's tightness and cleaning, the hot functional tests will follow. They are intended to confirm the readiness of the equipment for real operating conditions, including testing the four main circulating pumps at temperatures of at least 260°C, all before the final introduction of nuclear fuel.

Rosatom's General Director Aleksei Liakhov stressed that this is a key confirmation of the quality of installation and welding, noting that the goal is for the plant's first unit, with a capacity of 4,800 megawatts, to begin delivering electric power to the Turkish grid by the end of 2026.

Moreover, the project is being implemented under the BOO model (Build-Own-Operate) under which Rosatom builds, operates and remains the owner of this nuclear power plant, based on the 2010 intergovernmental agreement between Russia and Turkey – with plans for Turkey to in the future build other sites, including Sinop and Thrace.

S.A.