Turkey's state power purchasing authority TETAS, which is responsible for buying power generated under offtake guarantees, expects to start purchasing power from Turkey's planned nuclear capacity in 2023, state news agency Anatolia reported Saturday, in a report republished by TETAS on its website.
According to the report, TETAS' generating portfolio plan for 2016-2030 envisages that the authority will start purchasing power from 1,940 MW of nuclear capacity in 2023 rising to a maximum of 6,800 MW by 2027.
The nuclear capacity in question was not identified and TETAS has yet to publish the plan itself.
Currently the only nuclear power plant under development in Turkey is the 4.8 GW Akkuyu plant being developed by Russia's Rosatom, which holds 15-year offtake guarantees for 70% of the power produced from the first two 1.2 GW units and for 30% from the third and fourth units.
The Akkuyu plant holds a pre-license which guarantees the issuing of a full generating license when the developer demonstrates that it has the necessary finance in place to complete the plant.
Construction of the plant's offshore facilities started in the middle of last year but work is currently suspended, with reports suggesting that Rosatom will not continue to develop the plant unless it can sell up to 49% of equity in the project to Turkish investors.
Earlier this year Turkish energy minister Berat Albayrak said that the first unit of Akkuyu would be commissioned by the end of 2022.
Turkey's second nuclear power plant, the 4.48 GW station planned by a consortium of Mitsubishi, Itochu, Engie and Turkey's state power generator EUAS, is still at the feasibility stage and no details have been made public of any offtake guarantees offered.
