Rosatom Bidding For Turkiye’s Second Nuclear Power Plant

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that both Russia and Türkiye will benefit if Rosatom, the state-owned nuclear power contractor, is successful in its bid to construct the planned Sinop Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) on Türkiye’s Black Sea coast. Rosatom is currently constructing Turkiye’s first NPP at Akkuyu.

Lavrov commented in an interview with the Turkish daily Hurriyet on Friday (November 1). “If it is possible to agree on the parameters of Russia’s participation, it will be a win for both sides. We already have a successful example of this cooperation.”

The Akkuyu NPP is being built by a subsidiary of Rosatom. Its first reactor is expected to be launched in 2025 after a delay due to difficulties in receiving equipment from German tech giant Siemens, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar said in September.

In response to the difficulties of sanctions, Lavrov stated that “Russia has adapted to the pressure of sanctions and is developing successfully. The Russian economy is expected to grow by 3.9% this year. We have the lowest unemployment rate among the largest world economies – 2.4%.”

Lavrov went on to say that the United States has been attempting to “restrict” the abilities of Türkiye and other countries to maintain joint projects and to do business with Russia. He said, “The prospects for our practical cooperation depend on whether experts will be able to find mutually acceptable solutions in the near future.”

The site of the Sinop plant was approved in April. Bayraktar said earlier this year that Rosatom was “ahead” in the bidding process, citing the company’s positive experience working in Türkiye. Once fully operational, the facility will cover 10% of Türkiye’s energy needs.