Hydraulic testing completed on Akkuyu-1 reactor vessel

The tests on the 330-tonne reactor pressure vessel were carried out with a maximum pressure of 24.5 megapascals, which is about 1.4 times higher than operating pressure, according to a July 13 news release from Atomenergomash.

What they’re saying: “Hydraulic tests have confirmed the strength of the base metal and welded joints of the reactor pressure vessel [and] the readiness of the item for operation at the power plant for a specified life of 60 years,” said Rovshan Abbasov, director of Atommash.

Background: The Akkuyu project involves the construction of four 1,114-MWe Generation III+ VVER pressurized water reactors, model AES-2006. The design is based on the new generation of reactors being built in Russia, the first of which was Novovoronezh II-1. Akkuyu-1 is scheduled for commercial operation in 2023, with Units 2, 3, and 4 to follow in 2024, 2025, and 2026, respectively.

It has been estimated that when all four Akkuyu reactors are in operation, they will generate about 10 percent of Turkey’s electricity. The $20-billion project is the world’s first nuclear power plant to be built using the build-own-operate financing model.

Milestones in the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant include the following:

Akkuyu Nükleer—the Rosatom subsidiary responsible for designing, building, maintaining, operating, and decommissioning the plant—received a construction license from the Turkish Atomic Energy Authority (TAEK) on April 2, 2018. Construction officially commenced on April 3 with the first pour of concrete for the basemat of the Akkuyu-1 reactor building.

In December 2018, Akkuyu Nükleer received a limited work permit from TAEK that allowed the start of construction and installation work on Akkuyu-2 buildings and other structures, excluding those important for nuclear safety.

The basemat for Akkuyu-1 was completed on March 8, 2019. More than 17,000 cubic meters of self-compacting concrete were poured.

The first major piece of equipment for Akkuyu—the core catcher for Unit 1—was delivered on July 29, 2019.