Turkey's Akkuyu nuclear plant to start first reactor by end of 2026

September 6, 2026 at 11:43 AM2 min

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Turkey's first nuclear power plant, Akkuyu, will start generating electricity from its first reactor by the end of 2026, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on September 6. The reactor, with a capacity of 1,200 megawatts, is currently undergoing testing. Once operational, it is expected to cover 2–2.5% of Turkey's electricity demand.

Key Facts

The first reactor of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant will begin generating electricity by the end of 2026, according to Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar.
The reactor has an installed capacity of 1,200 megawatts and is currently in the testing phase.
Once operational, the first unit is expected to cover 2–2.5% of Turkey's electricity demand.
When all four units are completed, the plant will produce about 35 billion kilowatt-hours per year, covering approximately 10% of Turkey's electricity needs.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed confidence on September 1 that Rosatom would launch the first unit in 2026 as planned.

First Reactor Testing

The first reactor of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant has entered the testing phase, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on September 6. The plant consists of four reactors, each with an installed capacity of 1,200 megawatts. Bayraktar stated that the goal is to complete testing in stages and commission the first reactor by the end of 2026. The minister also said that work continues on the other reactors, and a data center is planned at the site alongside the third and fourth units.

Project Scale and Russian Involvement

Akkuyu is Turkey's first nuclear power plant and is being built with Russian participation. The plant will feature four VVER-1200 generation 3+ reactors of Russian design. Once all four units are operational, the plant will produce about 35 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to meet the annual consumption of Istanbul. The Akkuyu project is the first in the global nuclear industry to be implemented under a build-own-operate model. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on September 1 in Bishkek that Rosatom would launch the first unit in 2026 as planned.