Turkey's Nuclear Plant Hit by Siemens Energy Delays Amid Sanctions

The opening of Turkey's Akkuyu nuclear plant has been delayed due to withheld parts from Siemens Energy, attributed to Western sanctions over the Ukraine conflict. Russia's Rosatom has ordered alternative parts from China. Turkish Energy Minister Bayraktar announced potential fines against Siemens and criticized Germany's incongruous sanctions policies.

The opening of Turkey’s first nuclear plant has been delayed, as Siemens Energy withheld key parts, prompting Russia’s Rosatom to source these components from China, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Wednesday.

Bayraktar indicated that Siemens’s non-delivery, likely influenced by Western sanctions over Russia’s war in Ukraine, will delay the Akkuyu power plant’s first reactor launching by a few months. Initially targeted for 2023, the first reactor's new projected start is in 2024, with the remaining ones operational by 2028.

Rosatom has engaged Chinese companies to produce equivalent parts, due to Germany's export regulations. Potential fines against Siemens are being considered, despite the longstanding collaboration. The $20 billion Akkuyu project aims to produce 10% of Turkey's electricity locally.