MOSCOW, June 29 (HS/RIA Novosti) - Nuclear fuel loading into the reactor of Unit 1 of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant (NPP) in Turkey and its launch are scheduled for this fall, Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev told RIA Novosti.

Rosatom plans to begin the hot test, the main stage of commissioning work before Unit 1's startup, in July, Likhachev noted.

According to the Russian state corporation's top manager, if these tests successfully confirm the reliability of the reactor system's equipment and systems in the design operating modes, we will begin loading fuel and 'lifting up' the unit in the fall.

One of the milestones in the 2026 launch program for the Unit 1 will be timed to coincide with Republic Day on October 29, Likhachev told RIA Novosti.

Another interesting date - in early November, on the sidelines of the COP [Conference of the Parties] climate conference in Istanbul, we plan to hold a large 'nuclear day' and give technical tours of the plant to a number of guests, he added.

Turkey's first NPP, Akkuyu, is currently being built with Russian participation. It consists of four power units with advanced Russian-designed VVER-1200 generation III+ reactors. Each unit will have a capacity of 1,200 megawatts. The construction of the Akkuyu NPP is the first project in the global nuclear industry to be implemented using the build-own-operate model. The launch of the first power unit of the Akkuyu NPP is one of Rosatom's priorities this year, Likhachev said earlier.

Fresh nuclear fuel was delivered to the Akkuyu NPP unit 1 site in late April 2023. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, participated in the ceremony via video link.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar