Constructor Of Turkey's Akkuyu NPP Says Location Safe Against Earthquakes

Constructor of Turkey's Akkuyu NPP Says Location Safe Against Earthquakes

Russian project company Akkuyu Nuclear, responsible for the construction of the Turkey-based Akkuyu nuclear power plant (NPP), pushed back on Wednesday against reports of local media questioning the plant's seismic safety

ANKARA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2022) Russian project company Akkuyu Nuclear, responsible for the construction of the Turkey-based Akkuyu nuclear power plant (NPP), pushed back on Wednesday against reports of local media questioning the plant's seismic safety.

"The research has confirmed the parameters of the construction site for Akkuyu NPP, including seismic safety," the company said in a statement, as quoted by Turkish news agency Anadolu.

According to Akkuyu Nuclear, the construction site is located at the fifth-degree earthquake zone, as designated by the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, which is considered the safest area in the region.

At the same time, there are 12 seismic recording systems on-site to monitor the situation, with data being regularly sent to the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute.

The Akkuyu NPP was inaugurated in April 2018 to become the first nuclear power plant built in Turkey. The plant will feature four power units equipped with Russian-designed generation 3+ VVER reactors. The capacity of each power unit is up to 1,200 megawatts. The first unit is expected to be commissioned in 2022, while the remaining three will be connected to the grid by 2026.

Turkey is located in a seismically active zone and often suffers from powerful earthquakes.