Cargo travels from Russia to the Akkuyu NPP by five main routes: the Tuapse–Taşucu RoRo line, the road via Upper Lars and Georgia, the road via Azerbaijan and Iran, sea containers from Russian ports to Mersin, and, for main equipment, heavy-lift vessels berthing at the plant's own pier. The choice depends on the cargo's dimensions, the deadline and the situation at the border crossings.
What determines the choice of route?
There is no single best route between Russia and Akkuyu that applies to every load. Four questions decide the choice: the cargo's dimensions and weight, how flexible the delivery date is, the situation at the border crossings that week, and the customs procedure under which the cargo will move. A pallet of spare parts and a 40-tonne transformer do not use the same corridor. The fact that the site is on the coast also changes the equation: the plant is in the Gülnar district of Mersin, on the Mediterranean coast, and has its own cargo pier.
Main routes
Tuapse–Taşucu RoRo
The loaded tractor unit or trailer boards the vessel at the Port of Tuapse in the Krasnodar region, passes through the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, and is unloaded at Taşucu Port in Silifke. There is no transshipment in between; the cargo travels from the factory in Russia to the plant gate on the same trailer. The straight-line distance between Taşucu and the site is under 40 km. For the sailing schedule and document flow, see how the Tuapse–Taşucu RoRo line works.
Upper Lars–Georgia road route
From Vladikavkaz the vehicle crosses the Upper Lars border crossing, descends to Tbilisi along the Georgian Military Road and enters Türkiye through the Sarp, Türkgözü or Aktaş crossing. There is no sea leg, but because Lars is the only road crossing between Russia and Georgia open to trucks, snow, landslides or long queues can halt the entire route. In April 2022 the Ministry of Trade (Ticaret Bakanlığı) recommended that drivers be redirected to the Aktaş and Türkgözü crossings because of long queues at Sarp.
Road route via Azerbaijan and Iran
The vehicle crosses into Azerbaijan through the Yarag-Kazmalyar–Samur crossing in Dagestan, into Iran at Astara, and enters Türkiye at Bazargan–Gürbulak. It provides flexibility when the Caucasus pass is blocked; on the other hand, three separate customs administrations, Iran-specific transit documents and payment restrictions lengthen planning. Transit documents for the driver and the vehicle must be prepared before loading.
Sea container
Containers leaving Russian ports usually reach Mersin Port via a transshipment port and are then trucked to the site, about 140 km to the west. This suits groupage loads that are not urgent and do not have enough volume to fill a truck.
Heavy-lift vessel
Equipment weighing hundreds of tonnes, such as the reactor pressure vessel, steam generators or stators, never goes on the road. The plant's Eastern Cargo Terminal has accepted only cargo belonging to the plant since 2019 and welcomed its 100th vessel in February 2025; the heaviest item to pass through it was a 430-tonne turbine generator stator. The reasons for this choice are discussed together with the question of why main equipment arrives by sea.
Comparison of transit time and risk
| Route | What determines the time | Main risk | Suitable cargo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuapse–Taşucu RoRo | Sailing day, Bosphorus transit | Winter storms, sailing delays | Full truckloads, in-gauge machinery |
| Lars–Georgia | Queue at Lars, mountain road | Crossing closed due to weather | Truckloads where no sea leg is wanted |
| Azerbaijan–Iran | Customs procedures in three countries | Document and payment problems | Back-up route when the Caucasus line is blocked |
| Sea container | Line rotation, transshipment | Waiting at transshipment, demurrage | Groupage cargo with a flexible deadline |
| Heavy-lift vessel | Vessel chartering, weather window | Handling and weather conditions | Main equipment over 100 tonnes |
Giving a fixed number of days would be misleading. With RoRo, the total time is often determined not by the days at sea but by sailing frequency and document processing in port. On the road, the same crossing can be passed in hours in a quiet week and in days during a busy period. That is why a back-up route should be defined for each main route and the loading date updated according to the border situation.
How does Voltim Global support this?
Since March 2024, Voltim Global has carried out more than 450 shipments from Russia to Akkuyu. Most of them went via the Tuapse–Taşucu RoRo line, and some via the Upper Lars–Georgia and Iran road routes. Customs clearance at Taşucu (through contracted customs brokers) and final delivery to the site region are also handled within the Russia–Akkuyu supply line.