The first power unit of the Turkish Akkuyu nuclear power plant may undergo its physical commissioning as early as December 2026. This forecast was shared by official representatives from both Ankara and Moscow against the backdrop of finalizing commissioning activities at the site. A statement by Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar made on the sidelines of the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), and a confirmation from Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev during his November 11 appearance in Minsk, have effectively synchronized the public positions of both countries: the project is entering its final stage of preparation for commercial operation.
Turkish Minister: commissioning is a matter of completing tests
According to Alparslan Bayraktar, the physical commissioning of the first unit is planned for December 2026; however, its success depends on completing all pre-commissioning tests. The minister did not provide a specific calendar date, emphasizing that the timeline depends on the results of technical procedures. Thus, Ankara has set a "by the end of the year" target without committing to an exact launch day.
Rosatom: the company is "one step away" from physical commissioning
Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev, speaking in Minsk on November 11, confirmed that the project is in the final stages. "We are one step away from starting the physical commissioning [of Akkuyu NPP unit #1]. Of course, this is a construction project of planetary scale that the whole world is watching, as we step by step approach the launch of the first fuel assembly. We are doing everything so that it happens this year," he stated. According to him, the company is taking all necessary steps to ensure the commissioning takes place before the end of 2026.
A project of planetary scale
Akkuyu NPP is the first nuclear power plant in Turkey, being built by the Russian state corporation Rosatom under the Build-Own-Operate (BOO) model. The project involves four power units with Russian-designed VVER generation 3+ reactors, each with a capacity of 1200 MW. It is precisely this configuration and implementation format that makes the facility one of the most prominent international projects in the nuclear industry, which, by Rosatom's own assessment, the entire world is observing.
Context and next steps
The simultaneous statements by the Turkish Minister and the Rosatom CEO on November 11, 2026, indicate a coordinated position between the parties regarding the timeline. A key condition remains the successful completion of pre-commissioning tests and preparations for the loading of the first fuel assembly. If the schedule is met, the commissioning of the first unit is expected in December 2026, marking the first practical result of years of construction and initiating the next stage: connecting subsequent units.
