Turkey, Canada's AtkinsRealis sign deal for study on possible nuclear plant

(Adds details on agreement, background from paragraph 2) ANTALYA, Turkey, Nov 12 (Reuters) - C ​anada's AtkinsRealis said on Thursday it had ​signed an agreement with Turkish state-owned ‌nuclear energy ​company TUNAS to conduct a feasibility study for a potential expansion of Turkey's nuclear power programme.

The company said in a statement that it would ‌carry out a comprehensive study to be completed by the end of 2027 for a potential multi-unit nuclear project, as well as front-end engineering and design (FEED) work. Turkey is looking to expand its nuclear programme beyond the 4.8-gigawatt Akkuyu ‌plant under construction by Russia's Rosatom in the Mediterranean province of Mersin, with sites in the Black Sea ‌province of Sinop and the northwestern Thrace region identified as potential locations for new plants.

The Akkuyu project — Turkey's first nuclear power plant — has faced repeated delays, with Rosatom now expecting the first reactor to achieve its first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction before the ⁠end of ​this year. Joe St. Julian, ⁠President, Nuclear at AtkinsRealis, told Reuters that the parties were currently discussing a six-unit plan for a 4.5-gigawatt plant in Turkey, ⁠adding that they planned to complete the engineering design study by 2028, with that leading to a final investment decision.

There was ​also agreement on a roadmap for financing the project, St. Julian said. The agreement was signed by ⁠AtkinsRealis subsidiary Candu Energy on the sidelines of the COP31 climate summit in the southern Turkish province of Antalya.

Ankara has said it ⁠was ​in talks with Canada, South Korea, Russia, Japan and China on a potential plant. It has signed memorandums of understanding with Canada and South Korea on nuclear cooperation, with financing and costs being a ⁠key factor. Last week, unveiling the country's national energy plan, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Ankara aims to raise nuclear ⁠capacity to 10 GW ⁠by 2040 and expects nuclear power to meet 11% of electricity demand by then. He has also described 2027 as a decision year for plans in Sinop ‌or Thrace.