 |
13 May 2010
| Russia to build, own and operate Turkish nuclear plant Russian and Turkish heads of state have signed an intergovernmental agreement for Rosatom to build Turkey's first nuclear power plant of four 1200 MWe VVER reactors, at Akkuyu, on the eastern Mediterranean coast. Rosatom, through Atomstroyexport and Inter RAO UES, will finance the project and start off with 100% equity. Longer-term they intend to retain at least 51% of the company which will build, own and operate the plant. This will be Russia's first foreign plant built on that basis. The Turkish firm Park Teknik and state generation company Elektrik Uretim AS (EUAS) are expected to take up significant shares in the US$ 20 billion project. Meanwhile, EUAS will provide the site. In earlier bids for the plant, Atomstroyexport was the only one conforming to a requirement that the vendor take back the used fuel. Earlier plans faltered on guaranteeing the cost of power. Under the agreement the Turkish Electricity Trade & Contract Corporation (TETAS) will buy a fixed proportion of the power at US$ 12.35 cents/kWh for 15 years, or to 2030. The remainder of the power will be sold by the project company on the open market. After 15 years, when the plant is expected to be paid off, the project company will pay 20% of the profits to the Turkish government. The first reactor is to be on line within seven years of receiving a construction licence, with the others to follow at one-year intervals. The agreement also provides for setting up a fuel fabrication plant in Turkey. In March EUAS signed an agreement with Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco) to prepare a bid to build a nuclear power plant at Sinop on the Black Sea coast, with four APR-1400 reactors. The bid, in conjunction with local construction group Enka Insaat ve Sanayi, is due in August. If it is accepted, an intergovernmental agreement would follow and EUAS would take a 25% share in the plant. An EUR 1.7 billion nuclear technology centre is also planned at Sinop. FT, Moscow Times, Nuclear.Ru 13/5/10, WNN 13/5/10. Emerging nuclear countries Japanese reactor selected for US plant Dominion has selected Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' (MHI's) Advanced Pressurized Water Reactor (APWR) for the potential third unit at its North Anna nuclear power plant in Virginia. The company had previously been considering building the latest GE Hitachi reactor (the ESBWR) there. Luminant has also selected the 1700 MWe US-APWR for its Comanche Peak plant in Texas. US Nuclear Regulatory Commission design certification for the APWR is expected in about 18 months. WNN 10/5/10. Nuclear Power in the USA. Further Japanese equity in Texas nuclear plant Japanese utility Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) has agreed to take a 9% stake in the project to construct two new reactors at the South Texas Project (STP), with an option to increase this stake to some 18%. Toshiba, which will supply the two 1350 MWe Advanced boiling water reactors, holds 10% and NRG Energy 73% of the venture. NRG has signed long-term (20-40 year) agreements to buy more than half of the power from the merchant plant, which will assist financing it. WNN 10/5/10. Nuclear Power in the USA Appendix 3: COL Applications Other papers updated on the WNA Information Service (see WNA web site): Country papers: Finland World Nuclear Association, www.world-nuclear.org - UK ISSN 1326-4907 |
