Türkiye will take action against the German company Siemens over problems with the supply of equipment for Akkuyu NPP, Turkish Ministry of Energy Alparslan Bayraktar said at a meeting with Anadolu Agency journalists.
“The construction of the first power unit of the nuclear power plant is 90% complete, but there are difficulties with the supply of Siemens equipment from Germany. This is the result of political decisions Siemens is a company with which we have been working for a long time. However, there will definitely be a reaction to its actions and measures will be taken,” he stated. “This attitude will make us question their position in future projects.” He noted that the decision is probably the result of Western sanctions against Russia. Germany’s sanctions and trade policies appear to be incongruous, he said.
He added that Siemens had not yet explained its actions or provided legal arguments, despite the issue being discussed at the level of the leadership of the two countries. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in July that Germany was delaying at customs some parts required for the Akkuyu NPP. “This has seriously bothered us. I reminded German Chancellor Olaf Scholz of that in our bilateral meeting,” Erdogan said at the time.
“Due to Siemens’ decision, there are delays of several months in the launch of the first [Akkuyu] power unit, but there are alternative options; Rosatom has ordered the necessary equipment from China,” Bayraktar said. Akkuyu unit 1 was scheduled to start on 29 October 2025, which is Republic Day in Türkiye. However, the authorities have said that due to problems with the supply of equipment from Germany, the deadlines may be moved to a later date.
Akkuyu, Türkiye’s first NPP, will eventually host four Russian-designed VVER-1200 reactors. The pouring of first concrete for unit 1 took place in April 2018, for unit 2 in June 2020, for unit 3 in March 2021, and for unit 4 in July 2022. Rosatom is constructing the reactors according to a build-own-operate model. Unit 1 is expected to begin operation in 2025. The remaining reactors will come online by the end of 2028. In July Akkuyu NPP reported that some 70% of the equipment and systems installed at unit 1 had already undergone commissioning.
A Siemens Energy spokesperson confirmed to Reuters that some parts were not delivered to Turkey due to German export regulations. “Some parts were delivered a long time ago, but not for a good year now, due to export/customs licences that have not yet been issued. We must, of course, comply with the export regulations.” Bloomberg said the equipment is needed for a gas-insulated substation to transmit power from the $24 billion plant to the electric grid, according to people familiar with the matter.
