Rosatom to sue Siemens over Akkuyu nuclear plant

ANKARA

Russia’s state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom has announced plans to sue Siemens, alleging the German company failed to deliver prepaid equipment for the first unit of an under-construction nuclear power plant in Türkiye.

Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev revealed the decision in an interview with Russia-24 over the weekend, accusing Siemens of withholding equipment that had been both manufactured and paid for.

“There will obviously be a court process,” Likhachev said. “The prepaid equipment has not been delivered. This has caused us additional costs, as we had to purchase the equipment elsewhere and adjust installation timelines.”

The dispute centers on equipment ordered and paid for in 2020, according to Türkiye’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar.

During a briefing in last September, Bayraktar said Siemens had manufactured the equipment for the Akkuyu nuclear plant and stored it in a warehouse but later refused delivery, citing the absence of German government's approval due to sanctions over the war in Ukraine.

Bayraktar argued that the sanctions should not apply retroactively, noting the contract predated the conflict.

The first unit of the Akkuyu plant is scheduled to become operational in 2025. Once complete, the facility will feature four power units and is expected to provide 10 percent of Türkiye’s electricity needs.