Newsletters
Türkiye is expected to soon select the foreign company and country that will build its second nuclear power plant, planned for the Black Sea province of Sinop, according to local media reports.
The decision, expected in 2026, will represent the next major step in the country’s long-term strategy to expand its nuclear energy capacity.
Several countries and firms are currently in discussions with Ankara, with U.S. companies reportedly emerging as leading contenders, business-focused ekonomim.com reported.
If an American company is chosen, U.S. and Russian operators would manage Türkiye’s two nuclear power plants on opposite coasts—the Black Sea and the Mediterranean—reflecting Ankara’s effort to diversify its strategic energy partnerships.
During President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to the White House on Sept. 25, Türkiye and the United States signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Strategic Civil Nuclear Cooperation. The agreement aims to advance collaboration in civilian nuclear technologies as part of what both sides described as a "deep-rooted and multidimensional partnership."
On the other hand, talks are also known to have been held with firms from Canada, South Korea, China, and Russia. Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said in May that Türkiye had also held preliminary discussions with Canada’s Candu Energy, a subsidiary of engineering group AtkinsRealis.
Negotiations with companies from South Korea, China, and Russia have continued in parallel as the government evaluates possible partners for the Sinop project. Minister Bayraktar said in March that Rosatom, the Russian state company building the ongoing Akkuyu project, had also expressed interest in the second plant.
While attention turns to the Sinop tender, Türkiye’s first nuclear facility—the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in the Mediterranean province of Mersin—is preparing to begin test production in April 2026.
The project has faced delays due to disruptions in the supply of European-made equipment and financial hurdles stemming from Western sanctions on Russia.
Originally scheduled for trial operation in 2025, the start of production was postponed to 2026, according to the Presidential Annual Program. Once operational, Akkuyu will mark Türkiye’s entry into civilian nuclear power generation and serve as a model for future plants.
Türkiye’s nuclear roadmap envisions a total generation capacity of 20 gigawatts by 2050, combining the Akkuyu and Sinop projects with a potential third facility in the Thrace region in the country’s northwest.
1 min read
1 min read
