--- title: "\"One step from commissioning\": Rosatom and Ankara confirm launch of first Akkuyu NPP unit by late 2026" description: "Turkey's Energy Minister and the head of Rosatom have confirmed that the physical commissioning of the first Akkuyu NPP unit is planned for December 2026 following the completion of tests." date: 2026-11-11T16:40:47.897Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/akkuyu-npp-first-unit-commissioning-december-2026 tags: [akkuyu-npp, rosatom, turkey, nuclear-energy, cop31] author: "Andrey Kosynko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # "One step from commissioning": Rosatom and Ankara confirm launch of first Akkuyu NPP unit by late 2026 ![Construction of the Akkuyu NPP power unit using multiple concrete pumps and cranes on site.](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/11/akkuyu-aes-fizicheskiy-pusk-pervogo-bloka-dekabr-2026/akkuyu-aes-fizicheskiy-pusk-pervogo-bloka-dekabr-2026-1.webp) ## Key Points - Physical commissioning of the first Akkuyu NPP power unit is scheduled for December 2026. - Turkish Minister Bayraktar identified the successful completion of pre-commissioning tests as a condition, without providing an exact date. - Rosatom CEO Likhachev stated in Minsk on November 11 that the company is "one step away" from commissioning and is working to launch it this year. - Akkuyu is Turkey's first NPP, featuring four VVER 3+ 1200 MW units, built by Rosatom under the BOO model. 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. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Атомная «стройка планетарного масштаба»: Росатом в шаге от физического пуска первого блока турецкой АЭС «Аккую»](https://www.ixbt.com/news/2026/11/11/atomnaia-stroika-planetarnogo-masstaba-rosatom-v-sage-ot-fiziceskogo-puska-pervogo-bloka-tureckoi-aes-akkuiu.html) - Primary source: statements by Bayraktar at COP31 and Likhachev in Minsk on 11.11.2026, project parameters (4x1200 MW, VVER 3+, BOO). - ["Росатом" создал "урановый совет" по топливному обеспечению АЭС будущего](https://1prime.ru/20260320/rosatom-868480239.html) - Background context regarding fuel supply for Rosatom's nuclear industry; not directly related to Akkuyu's launch timeline and was not included in the text. ## FAQ ### When is the physical commissioning of the first Akkuyu NPP unit planned? According to Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, commissioning is planned for December 2026, provided that all pre-commissioning tests are successfully completed; an exact date has not been specified. ### What did the head of Rosatom say about the launch timeline? Alexey Likhachev stated in Minsk on November 11 that the company is "one step away" from commissioning the first unit and is doing everything necessary for it to occur by the end of 2026. ### What are the characteristics of the Akkuyu NPP? It is Turkey's first NPP with four power units using VVER generation 3+ reactors with a capacity of 1200 MW each; it is being built by Rosatom under the Build-Own-Operate model.