Energy Facilities and Nuclear Power Program by 2020 in Turkey

Turkey's flirtation with nuclear power began in July 1955, when it signed a bilateral agreement with the USA to cooperate in the "peaceful uses of nuclear energy." Turkey is an energy importing country and around 60% of its need was imported in 1996. Electricity use in Turkey will exceed this amount between 2005-2010, when the demand will be approximately 300 billion kWh with approximately 8% annual demand growth. Turkey hydraulic power capacity for electricity production is restricted to 245 billion kWh. Turkey, for supply security, has imported Coal Power Plants and Nuclear Power Plants for fuel diversification against natural gas, which the Electric Sector will heavily depend upon after year 2000. All of the factors above combine to suggest that conditions in Turkey are favorable for the development of the nuclear power option. The Turkish Government has announced plans to build 10 nuclear reactors by 2020. Site selection studies of the Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) started in 1972 in Turkey. The first reactor is planned to be built at Akkuyu Bay on the southeast Mediterranean coast and is scheduled to start operation in 2005.