Nuclear fuel loading at Akkuyu begins in December, power generation in January-February

Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhachev announced that loading of real nuclear fuel into the first reactor of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in Mersin may begin in December. According to TASS, Likhachev said, "We are now at the finish line in the commissioning work," and reported that he expects the permit required for hot functional tests within a few hours. Stating that Turkey will have nuclear electricity in January-February 2027, Likhachev added that they foresee the tests being completed successfully.

In June 2026, the loading of dummy fuel assemblies into the first reactor will be completed; this step will constitute the final technical transition before the real fuel loading. The first nuclear fuel had been brought to the plant in April 2023.

Likhachev also announced that Turkish investors are interested in acquiring up to 49 percent of the shares in the project. Stating that the Turkey-Russia intergovernmental agreement permits foreign partner participation but that the approval of the Turkish government is required, Likhachev said the talks are continuing in confidentiality.

The plant, which will consist of four reactors each with a capacity of 1,200 megawatts, will reach a total installed capacity of 4,800 megawatts. According to Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources data, when all four reactors are commissioned, approximately 35 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity will be generated annually; this amount corresponds to about 10 percent of Turkey's total electricity consumption in 2024. All four reactors are targeted to be operating at full capacity by the end of 2028.