Germany sabotaged the nuclear power plant under construction by Rosatom in Turkey

Germany is slowing down the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant in Turkey. Despite the absence of sanctions, the German government did not issue a permit for the export of equipment from Germany, and the project had to change suppliers. Denis Sesemin, Director for the organization of production and construction of Akkuyu Nuclear JSC, told Sabah about this.

Delays in the supply of equipment from German Siemens complicated the construction of the Akkuyu NPP. As Denis Sesemin told the Turkish edition, 60% of the switchgear equipment is awaiting permission from the German government for export from July 2023. However, it has not been received so far.

"Despite the absence of sanctions, official bans and other restrictions, joint attempts with Turkey to ensure the supply of 400 kilovolt gas equipment also failed, as a result of which a decision was made to change suppliers," Sabah writes with reference to the director of production and Construction of Akkuyu Nuclear JSC.

"In January 2024, we decided to change the supplier, re-ordering this equipment in China at our own expense. On the one hand, this example shows that all the obstacles that have arisen can be overcome, but on the other hand, unfortunately, it affects the construction and commissioning process. Nevertheless, we are making every effort to put the first power unit into operation in 2025 in accordance with the provisions of the intergovernmental agreement," Denis Sesemin said.

Sabah noted that the Akkuyu NPP will cover about 10% of Turkey's electricity consumption and will reduce gas imports by 420 billion cubic meters in the long term.

The Turkish nuclear power plant is not the first Rosatom plant in the construction of which the German government puts a spoke in the wheels. Thus, the French Framatome and the German Siemens are to supply automatic process control systems (ACS) for the Hungarian Paks-2 NPP. But export licenses for this equipment have not yet been obtained. Political reasons were stated in Budapest. Hungary expects that the 14th package of sanctions against Russia will put everything in its place. It states that the NPP is not subject to any sanctions.

"In the 14th package of sanctions The EU v. Russia in a separate chapter states that the Paksh-2 project is not subject to any EU sanctions, and on this basis, one can practically be sure that Siemens Energy will be able to fulfill its contractual obligations to supply a process control system for the Paksh-2 NPP under construction," said Portfolio CEO The director of Paks II is Gergei Yakli.

As EADaily reported with reference to the head of Rosatom, Alexey Likhachev, the United States is arranging financial obstacles to the construction of the Akkuyu NPP.

"The settlement system is under attack. They're seizing the money. They are Americans who walk between our legal entities, between our banks. Well, a lot of things "arrive" in small things, — said Alexey Likhachev. "But the dogs are barking—the caravan is coming."