Rosatom announced in December 2024 that turbine installation at Akkuyu NPP Unit 1 was complete; with the alignment of all components verified, the unit became ready for cold-hot tests.
Rosatom announced in December 2024 that the installation of the turbine at Unit 1 of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant had been completed. According to a World Nuclear News report dated 17 December 2024, the alignment of all components was verified at the end of the installation work, and the unit became ready for the cold-hot tests that form a key stage of the commissioning process. Source
"A key milestone of 2024"
Rosatom Director General Likhachev described the completion of the turbine installation as one of the most important achievements and key milestones of 2024, while Turkish Energy Minister Bayraktar also confirmed the progress at the site. Source
As reported by the Russian news agency TASS, specialists verified the alignment of all components after installation, confirming the quality of the assembly. Alignment verification is regarded as one of the preconditions for the safe operation of large high-speed rotating machinery such as turbines. Source
Sanctions reshaped the supply chain
Likhachev explained that agreements with Germany-based Siemens had been disrupted because of sanctions, and that Rosatom had therefore turned to Chinese suppliers for the turbine's auxiliary equipment. The turbine island of Unit 1 was thus completed despite forced changes in the supply chain. Source
Next stage: cold-hot tests
With the turbine installed, the unit's readiness for cold-hot testing was announced as a critical threshold in the commissioning schedule. These tests are among the key steps of the commissioning process, intended to verify plant systems before the transition to operating conditions.
The project logistics dimension
Turbine island equipment ranks among the largest and heaviest cargo items of any nuclear power plant project. Moving components of this scale from their points of manufacture to the site and installing them - even amid supply chain changes - is part of a project logistics process that demands extensive planning, specialised equipment and coordination.
The completion of the turbine installation was recorded as one of the most significant stages reached in the commissioning preparations of Akkuyu Unit 1 as of December 2024.