Export potential of Türkiye's nuclear industry is increasing
Nuclear Industry Association President Alikaan Çiftçi: “We have the potential to be an important stakeholder in nuclear investments to be made in the Middle East, Africa and our neighboring countries.”
- Published July 3, 2025 11:38
Nuclear Industry Association (NSD) Chairman Alikaan Çiftçi stated that thanks to the experience gained in Akkuyu NPP, the first nuclear power plant (NPP) under construction in Türkiye, export doors have been opened in the nuclear industry, and said, “We have the potential to be an important stakeholder in nuclear investments to be made in the Middle East, Africa and our neighboring countries.”
Çiftçi made a statement to the AA correspondent within the scope of the 11th Nuclear Power Plants Summit-NPPES, organized in Istanbul with the support of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, in cooperation with the Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO) and NSD, of which Anadolu Agency is the Global Communications Partner.
Citing the ongoing Akkuyu nuclear power plant (NGS) and the planned nuclear power plant projects in Sinop and Thrace, Çiftçi said that their primary goal as an association is to increase the contribution of the domestic industry to the first power plant in Türkiye and to ensure that the maximum share is received from the project.
Çiftçi, drawing attention to the fact that they aim to increase the interest and awareness of the domestic industry in the nuclear field as well as to bring industries, systems and technologies with high multiplier effects to Türkiye, said, “In this sense, around 400 of our domestic companies have taken part in various fields such as engineering, logistics, manufacturing, metal construction, valves, pumps and cables in Akkuyu NPP. We will of course use the knowledge, accumulation and experience we have gained in Akkuyu NPP in the second and third conventional nuclear power plants planned to be built in our country and take them further. Our goal is in this direction.”
Ciftci, who reminded that Türkiye aims to increase its installed nuclear power to 20 gigawatts by 2050 in line with the target set by the ministry, said, “The aim is to provide 5 gigawatts of this from small modular reactors (SMR). There is a lot of work to be done in this direction. It is quite important and a very effective target for our industry and energy infrastructure.”
“SMRs will provide Türkiye with advanced and new generation nuclear technology”
Çiftçi pointed out that SMRs offer shorter installation times and lower costs thanks to their size, ability to be manufactured in a factory, and suitability for mass production, and said, “SMRs will make significant contributions to our country’s energy infrastructure. This is very important not only in terms of ensuring energy supply security with nuclear energy, but also in terms of bringing advanced and new generation nuclear technologies to our country.”
Çiftçi, who explained that as an association they were working on Türkiye's potential for nuclear cooperation abroad, continued as follows:
“There are plans to build many nuclear reactors not only in Türkiye but also in our region. There are many reactors currently under construction. Just as we will use the knowledge and experience gained by our industry with Akkuyu NPP in the second and third nuclear power plants planned to be built in our country, and in small nuclear reactors, we can see that we can become an exporter in the field of nuclear energy and nuclear industry. We are also making plans for this. We have the potential to be an important stakeholder in nuclear investments to be made in the Middle East, Africa and our neighboring countries. If we increase the knowledge and interest of our industry, we will be able to bring a very serious export and employment potential to our country in the coming years.”
AA
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