Nuclear energy no longer dream but economic necessity: Türkiye

DAILY SABAH.COM :

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar on Friday said Türkiye has growing needs for reliable and clean power, stressing that nuclear energy was no longer just an aspiration.
“Nuclear energy is beyond a dream for Türkiye; it is an economic necessity,” Bayraktar said during a session on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Russia’s second-largest city.
“For our growing economy, a clean baseload energy source is essential, and nuclear energy meets this need.”
Türkiye expects annual energy demand to rise by at least 4%, a figure likely to increase with the expanding role of big data, artificial intelligence and digital transformation, according to the minister.
“To meet this growing demand, we must invest in new installed capacity,” Bayraktar said.
Türkiye is just months away from launching the initial reactor of its first nuclear power plant, Akkuyu, under construction in the Mediterranean region.
The $20 billion, 4.8 gigawatt (GW) four-reactor Akkuyu plant will bring Türkiye into the small club of nations with civil nuclear energy. The plant is being built by the Russian conglomerate Rosatom.
Bayraktar said Türkiye still needs at least eight additional reactors, as well as 5 GW of small modular reactors (SMRs) to enhance energy security and ensure an affordable electricity supply.
The country is planning to build two more plants in Thrace and the Black Sea regions. It aims to reach 7.2 GW of nuclear capacity by 2035 and 20 GW by 2050.
Politicization of gas
Currently, one-third of Türkiye’s electricity comes from coal, but building new coal plants has become increasingly difficult due to financing and environmental concerns, Bayraktar said.
He also noted what he described as the increasing politicization of natural gas, which he says is affected by artificial sanctions and geopolitical developments.
“The fluctuations in natural gas prices do not give us a promising signal. As for hydroelectric production, we’ve nearly reached the end of our potential,” the minister said.
While renewable energy resources are attracting major interest worldwide, Bayraktar emphasized their limitations.
“These are intermittent sources. When the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow, generation falters. That’s why we need a clean baseload energy source,” he noted.
The Turkish government has been incentivizing investments in renewable power plants since 2005 to reduce its high import bill and insulate itself from geopolitical risks.
While Türkiye’s electricity consumption has tripled in the last two decades, it is expected to increase even faster in the coming years due to the long-term energy transformation.
Türkiye boasts more than 33 GW of installed capacity in wind and solar energy. It plans to lift this figure to 120 GW by 2035, according to the government’s targets.
Akkuyu’s broader economic impact
Bayraktar framed nuclear projects within three core dimensions: supply and demand, economic benefits and social impact.
“When we look at the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, there is tremendous growth surrounding the project. Thanks to Akkuyu NPP, nearly 300 companies, from industry to construction, have formed an ecosystem around the project,” he said.
“In addition to thousands of employees in these companies, more than 30,000 people are currently working on the project site.”
Bayraktar also stressed the project’s contribution to human capital development.
“The skills we’ve developed here give us the opportunity to export our expertise to projects like Paks II in Hungary or those in Egypt. Hundreds of our students are receiving nuclear energy training in Russia, further enhancing our human capital,” he noted.
“All of these elements of nuclear energy are creating a driving force for our economy.”