Russian Rosatom eyes Sinop Nuclear Power Plant project in Türkiye, says energy minister

Türkiye’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced that the Russian state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom has expressed interest in the planned nuclear power plant (NPP) project in Sinop and is actively working on the matter.

Rosatom is currently constructing the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant’s reactors in Mersin, which is expected to begin operations in 2025.

“Our primary focus right now is to commission the first reactor at Akkuyu as soon as possible, and we held discussions with Rosatom on this issue today,” Bayraktar stated.

During his visit to Moscow, where he met with officials, Bayraktar responded to questions from an Anadolu Agency correspondent regarding current developments.

Long-standing energy cooperation between Türkiye, Russia

Bayraktar emphasized the deep-rooted energy cooperation between Türkiye and Russia, which spans many years, encompassing natural gas and oil, as well as nuclear energy.

He highlighted that the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant is Türkiye’s largest foreign investment, underscoring the significance of collaboration in nuclear energy.

Providing details about his meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak and Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilyev, he stated, “We discussed the current state of our cooperation, explored strategies to expand our trade volume, and addressed several new topics on our agenda.”

Bayraktar pointed out that Türkiye is the fourth-largest natural gas consumer in Europe and that Russia plays a key role as a supplier in this sector, noting that 2026 will mark the 40th anniversary of Russia’s natural gas exports to Türkiye.

“This is a significant milestone for us. While advancing our cooperation in natural gas, we also discussed ensuring more favorable supply conditions and establishing a natural gas trade hub in Türkiye,” he said.

Bayraktar highlighted Türkiye’s strategic position and infrastructure investments, which allow it to enhance regional energy security.

“Türkiye is a major natural gas market, and with its infrastructure and location, it can contribute to supply security for neighboring countries,” he added.

He also stressed Türkiye’s growing role as a natural gas producer, particularly with recent discoveries in the Black Sea. “We are working on increasing the capacity of our connections with neighboring countries. There are significant opportunities in this regard,” he said.

‘Turkmen gas is crucial for Türkiye’

Bayraktar emphasized the importance of the agreement that enables Turkmen gas to reach Türkiye via swap arrangements through Iran. “This deal is vital for Türkiye’s energy security and diversification of its gas sources,” he stated.

He noted that Turkmen gas is being supplied at a competitive price, which helps reduce Türkiye’s overall energy costs. “Bringing Turkmen gas to Türkiye is highly valuable. This year, we will supply an amount equivalent to the annual consumption of approximately 1.5 million households,” he explained.

Bayraktar also highlighted plans to increase this volume in the future. “In the medium and long term, transporting Turkmen gas to Türkiye and Europe via a pipeline across the Caspian Sea is the most technically and commercially viable solution,” he noted.

Bayraktar remarked that Türkiye currently imports natural gas through 14 different entry points while also exporting to countries such as Bulgaria and Greece.

He noted that a new export route is being added to the completion of the Igdir-Nakhchivan pipeline, which will facilitate natural gas exports to Nakhchivan.

According to Bayraktar, a formal ceremony attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will mark the pipeline’s launch, ensuring that Nakhchivan’s natural gas supply is secured through Türkiye.

‘Iraq’s oil could reach global markets via Türkiye’

Commenting on statements from Iraqi officials regarding the resumption of crude oil exports from Ceyhan Port, Bayraktar said: “The Iraq-Türkiye oil pipeline has been operationally ready since Oct. 4, 2023. There was a brief suspension for technical inspections following the Feb. 6, 2023 earthquakes. After completing all necessary checks, we confirmed its readiness for operation in October.”

He emphasized that negotiations between Erbil, Baghdad, and oil-producing companies have paved the way for the resumption of shipments. “The pipeline has been ready for 1.5 years. We want to see the full utilization of the two pipelines, which extend 650 kilometers 403.8 miles) from Silopi to Ceyhan,” he said.

Bayraktar also pointed out the potential for increasing the pipeline’s throughput. “Some of the crude transported via this pipeline could be processed at the Kirikkale refinery, while the rest could be shipped from Ceyhan to refineries in Türkiye and worldwide. We aim to maximize the pipeline’s capacity,” he explained.

He added that crude oil from Gabar is also transported through this pipeline to Dörtyol and Ceyhan.

“Our goal is to fully utilize the pipeline. Additionally, as part of the ‘Development Road’ project—what we also call the ‘Energy Corridor’—we envision a new oil pipeline extending to Basra, which would facilitate the export of Iraqi oil to global markets via Türkiye,” he concluded.