Turkiye plans nuclear power plant near Greece border

• 7 months ago (2023-09-18)
• David Flin

Middle East 311 Nuclear 640

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Turkiye has nearly reached a second agreement with China to build a nuclear power plant in eastern Thrace, near the border with Greece.

Alparslan Bayraktar, Turkiye’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister, announced that a Chinese delegation visited a proposed site for four nuclear reactors, situated in the northwest city of Kirklareli near the borders of Greece and Bulgaria. In addition, Turkiye is in discussions with Russia and South Korea for an additional set of four reactors in Sinop, on the Black Sea coast.

China’s involvement in Turkiye’s nuclear power sector is substantial, with discussions spanning nearly a decade for the construction of a four-reactor power plant at a third site in northwest Turkiye. The project would become China’s largest foreign investment if finalised.

Turkiye has a long-term plan to develop 20 GW of nuclear power generation in order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2053.