Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept. 10 / Trend R.Hafizoglu /
Ankara intends developing nuclear energy, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz said, the Anadolu news agency reports on Monday.
The minister said that the decision to build a second nuclear power plant will be made by the end of the year. He added that the development of nuclear energy will reduce reliance on imported energy.
He said earlier that Turkey is building the Akkuyu nuclear power plant and negotiations are underway with Japan, Canada, China and South Korea to build the Sinop nuclear power plant.
The minister added that the Turkish NPPs will generate electricity by 2019 and that Turkey is planning to build another nuclear power plant by 2023.
NPP Akkuyu will be built as part of the Russian project which includes construction of four power units with reactors of VVER-1200. Agreement on its construction was signed in May 2010.
The capacity of each unit will be 1200 MW giving a total of 4800 MW. It is assumed that the units will be commissioned in sequence at intervals in one year.
