Turkey in preliminary talks with US company on third nuclear plant

ANKARA - Reuters

Turkey's first nuclear plant will be built in the paradisiac Mediterranean locality of Akkuyu, in Mersin. But controversy remains over the impact of the plant to the the preserved natural areas around Akkuyu, while a strong anti-nuclear movement continues to oppose to the project with the support fo locals. DHA Photo

Turkey has entered exclusive preliminary talks with U.S.-based Westinghouse Electric Company, part of Japan’s Toshiba group, on building the country’s third nuclear power plant, Westinghouse said.

The talks will continue for six months and will be conducted by Turkish state-owned electricity generation company EÜAS, Turkish energy officials said Nov. 25.

The project involves development and construction as well as all live-cycle activities including operations, nuclear fuel, maintenance, engineering, plant services and decommissioning, Westinghouse said in a statement.

Turkey currently has projects for two nuclear plants, which are expected to cost $20 billion and $22 billion respectively. In 2011, Russian company Rosatom was contracted to build and operate a 4,800 megawatt (MW) nuclear power plant in the southern province of Mersin.

In 2013, a consortium of Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Itochu Corp. and France’s GDF Suez agreed to build a nuclear plant with a capacity of about 4,500 MW in the Black Sea town of Sinop.