Unit 1 of Turkey's Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant Completes Primary Circuit Hydrostatic Test: Fully Advancing Toward the Hot Functional Test Stage

Unit 1 of the Akkuyu NPP, Turkey's first nuclear power plant, has successfully completed the hydrostatic test of the primary circuit system and core equipment. The successful completion of this hydrostatic test verified the pressure-bearing integrity and sealing performance of the primary circuit system, clearing engineering obstacles for the unit's subsequent launch of the critical hot functional test.

During the test, the pressure-bearing value of the primary circuit system (covering the reactor pressure vessel, main coolant pumps, steam generators, pressurizer, and the main coolant piping connecting all components) was raised to 24.5 MPa, equivalent to approximately 1.5 times the unit's normal operating pressure; the initial temperature of the primary circuit demineralized water reached 135°C. Engineering and technical personnel conducted comprehensive verification of the equipment's pressure-bearing status under high-pressure conditions, main pipeline welds, and instrumentation systems through the automated process control system, confirming that all key indicators met engineering design baselines and international nuclear safety standards.

The cold functional test included in this test was launched after the simulated fuel assembly loading was completed in June this year, focusing on verifying the installation quality of safety-related systems under normal-temperature cold conditions, circuit sealing performance, and completing main pipeline circulation flushing. This also marked the first joint pressurized coordinated operation of the reactor core system and auxiliary systems. After the cold hydrostatic test is completed, the unit will transition to the hot functional test, focusing on assessing the continuous operation performance of 4 main coolant pumps under high-temperature conditions above 260°C; only after both the cold and hot functional tests fully pass can the unit be authorized to load its first batch of real nuclear fuel.

Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom, stated that the construction of Akkuyu Unit 1 has gone through thousands of complex procedures, and the quality of primary circuit equipment manufacturing, pipeline installation, and welded joints directly determines the inherent safety of the unit throughout its entire lifecycle. The success of this hydrostatic test powerfully demonstrated the reliability of construction and commissioning quality, marking another decisive step forward for the unit toward physical startup.

The Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant is located in Mersin Province in southern Turkey. Rosatom is building 4 VVER-1200 Generation III+ nuclear power units under a "build-own-operate" model, with a total installed capacity of 4,800 MW. Unit 1 of the plant received its construction permit in 2018, nuclear fuel was delivered to the site in April 2023, and the overall project goal is to achieve grid connection and power delivery to Turkey's national grid by the end of 2026; once all four units are completed and put into operation, they are expected to meet approximately 10% of Turkey's national electricity demand.