Sustainable Development

Since October 2020 Rosatom State Corporation is a member of the UN Global Compact - largest UN international initiative in corporate sustainability and social responsibility.

 

The State Corporation follows the global agenda in sustainable development and adheres to the ten principles of the UN Global Compact. The key priorities of the State Corporation and all its enterprises are radiation and industrial safety, occupational safety and environment, prevention of corruption. The declaration on adherence of the State Corporation tо sustainable development goals is confirmed by the letter on joining the  United Nations Global Compact. For establishing uniform principles and approaches of Rosatom State Corporation and its organizations in sustainable development a Uniform sector-specific policy was adopted in 2020, wherein the facilitation of 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals is one of the significant conditions of the Corporation's activity when implementing its strategic goals.

 

AKKUYU NUCLEAR JSC, which implements the construction project of the first nuclear power plant in Türkiye, the majority shareholder of which is Rusatom Energy International JSC (REIN JSC), an affiliated company of Rosatom SC, is governed by the uniform strategy of the State Corporation, paying special attention to the contribution in achieving the sustainable development goals.

 

The most important aspect of sustainable development of AKKUYU NUCLEAR JSC is the Do no significant harm principle that implies minimization of contamination and negative impact on the environment, rational use of the natural resources, and application of the closed production cycle.

 

AKKUYU NUCLEAR JSC shares the commitment of Rosatom State Corporation to achieve 17 UN SDG, paying special attention to the contribution to 6 of them through its activity in environmental protection (E), manifesting social responsibility (S) and improving the quality of corporate governance (G);

Likhachev's Letter of Commitment to the UN SDGs

 

ROSATOM Executives Memorandum on Commitment to the Sustainable Development Principles

 

Unified Industry Policy on Sustainable Development of ROSATOM and its Organizations

 

A.G.Zoteeva Chief Executive Officer of AKKUYU NUCLEAR JSC:

The Akkuyu NPP Project being implemented within the Russian and Turkish Inter-Governmental Agreement dated 12.05.2010, contributes to the performance of obligations by Türkiye on several sustainable development goals (SDG). Apart from SDG No. 7 "Cheap clean energy" and SDG No. 13 "Combating climate change", the Akkuyu NPP project facilitates the achievement of SDG No. 4 "Quality education" for example, based on the development of nuclear educational programs for the Turkish students in the Russian Universities. The project facilitates the achievement of SDG No. 17 "Partnership in the interests of sustainable development" by transferring the national nuclear infrastructure development experience.

 

 

 

 

"Cheap and clean energy" - Provision of access to cheap, reliable, sustainable and modern sources
of energy for all

 

Nuclear Energy as an Integral Part of Effetive Power Balance of Türkiye

 

 

 

4
units		1,200 MW
unit capacity		4,800 MW
total capacity		35 bln. kW*h
annual generation

 

 

 

Akkuyu NPP shall make its contribution to the development of low-carbon electricity generation in Türkiye:

 
• annual target output of Akkuyu NPP on an average shall be 35 billion kWh, covering up to 10% of the electricity requirement of Türkiye;
 
• annual target output is sufficient to provide electricity to such a large city as Istanbul with a population of 15 mln. persons, approximately for 90%;
 
• The NPP is capable of continuous generation of electricity 24/7 for a duration of 60 years;
 
• NPP operation does not depend on the weather conditions.

 

 

 

 

"Decent work and economic growth" - Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all

 

Low-Carbon Energy for Reliable Growth

 

 

AKKUYU NUCLEAR JSC provides equal opportunities for employment, career growth for all the employees by adhering to the nondiscrimination principle. The project at the peak of construction provides for the employment of more than 25,000 persons, 80% of them being citizens of Türkiye, and approximately 4000 workplaces at the operation stage.

 

Approximately 50 bln. US dollars (~6% of the country's GDP) shall be the estimated contribution to GDP of Türkiye for the entire NPP life cycle. Thanks to the Akkuyu NPP project, more than 2 bln US dollars shall be the additional tax receipts to the country's budget for the construction period. High temperature reactors shall become the alternative to fossil fuel that shall allow reducing the energy dependence from imported fossil fuel and direct the saved financial resources to development of other branches of the economy.

 

Multi-factorial positive effect is created for the region's economy, in particular for the country overall within the framework of localization and involvement of the local manufacturers of goods and services in implementing the Akkuyu NPP project. At the end of 2021 more than 400 Turkish companies have been included in the list of project suppliers, regularly updated by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of Türkiye and AKKUYU NUCLEAR JSC. The Turkish companies provide 40% of the construction and installation works and deliveries for the project needs.

 

 

 

 

"Individualization, innovation and infrastructure" - Creation of a strong infrastructure, assistance in ensuring inclusive and sustainable industrialization and implementation of innovations

 

Development of the Area of Presence

 

 

The NPP construction and operation shall stimulate the development of construction, metallurgical, electrical engineering and machine building sectors, system of higher nuclear education and training of personnel, and ensure the formation of required infrastructure.

 

Thanks to the Akkuyu NPP project, conditions are created for integrated development of the NPP construction region, including for the growth in prosperity of the local population, development of small and medium entrepreneurship, domestic and maintenance services market.

 

Road and transport and port infrastructure is being developed in the Silifke and Gülnar municipalities of Mersin province. Two quays have been built for the project purposes within the NPP construction territory that allows optimize the delivery of heavy equipment.

 

The construction of new motor roads (length 49 km), motor road junctions and flying-road bridge on the "Mersin-Antalya" route is being completed in the NPP location area. The cost of the transport infrastructure put into operation is 210 mln. US dollars. The sphere of private residential construction in the Büyükeceli, Taşucu, Silifke settlements is being actively developed.

 

 

 

 

"Responsible consumption and production" - Provision of transition to rational consumption and production models

 

Rational Consumption of Resources

 

 

The generated wastes at the construction stage are collected and stored individually depending on their type, hazard class and other characteristics. The specialized contractor enterprises such as TSM Enerji İnşaat Sanayi A.Ş., Cengiz İnşaat A.Ş. and NEPT JSC remove the wastes from the construction site on a daily basis for sorting and processing. Approximately 27,800 tons of wastes have been removed in 2021 from the site, and for the first six months of 2022 about 51,800 tons have been removed. The organizations engaged in the project regularly enter data about the volumes of hazardous wastes generated during their production activity in the national state information system of Türkiye MoTAT (Mobil Tehlikeli Atık Takip Sistemi).

 

The Akkuyu NPP design has provided for a closed cycle of water circulation that excludes the negative impact of sewage water on the environment including the water bodies. Similarly, the removal of sewage treated to the quality targets at the treatment facilities to the cooling water system is provided for that reduces the sea water consumption volume. The availability of treatment systems of process and storm water in the project excludes the entry of contaminated water to the water bodies.

 

The demineralized and desalinated sea water shall be used for process and domestic needs at Akkuyu NPP. The sea water volume subject to demineralization shall be 108,872.2 m3/year. The temperature of discharged water and content of the contaminants in the Akkuyu NPP sewage shall correspond to the regulatory requirements. This measure shall facilitate the rational assimilation and efficient use of water resources in the region, where frugal water consumption is required due to its southern location.

 

 

 

 

"Struggle with climate change" - Taking urgent measures for combating climate change and its consequences

 

Reduction of Carbon Footprint

 

 

Approximately 18 mln. tons of CO2-equivalent emissions shall annually be prevented after the commissioning of all the four Akkuyu NPP units following the substitution of the generation volumes from other hydrocarbon sources of generation that constitutes approximately 3.5% of all the emissions of greenhouse gases in the country per year, and in just 60 years of operation - 2.1 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

 

 

 

 

Partnership in the interests of sustainable development" - Revitalize global partnership for sustainable development

 

Nuclear Energy for All

 

 

Construction of Akkuyu NPP - largest joint project of Russia and Türkiye. The Project is being implemented in conditions of open dialog with the domestic and international level organizations. All the works on it are performed in close collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NDK), Turkish Energy, Nuclear and Mineral Research Agency (TENMAK), other relevant agencies of the Republic of Türkiye with the approval of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

 

The Akkuyu NPP project construction activity and measures for development of the nuclear infrastructure of Türkiye are carried out in accordance with the IAEA guidelines, requirements and recommendations, terms of the Inter-Governmental Agreement and domestic laws of the Republic of Türkiye.

 

On June 20, 2019 AKKUYU NÜKLEER A.Ş. became a member of the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO), which unites 128 operators of the entire world and more than 450 NPP units.

 

 

 

 

Safety is a Key Priority of the Akkuyu NPP Project

 

 

Safety has key significance for all the concerned parties at all the implementation stages of the Akkuyu NPP project. Integrated regulation of the activity in nuclear power generation is provided: nuclear and radiation safety, national emergency readiness and reaction, physical safety of NPP in accordance with the IAEA safety standards. About 40% of the cost of NPP are the safety systems.

 

The effectiveness of the design solutions behind the protection systems of modern reactors of Russian design VVER-1200 has been presented in the National Report on stress tests,  prepared with the assistance of AKKUYU NUCLEAR JSC, which was sent by Türkiye in December 2018 to the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group, ENSREG for performing expert evaluation of Akkuyu NPP safety.

 

Türkiye is a member of IAEA, Agreement on non-propagation of nuclear weapon, Nuclear Group of Suppliers (NGS) and Committee of nuclear exporters (Zangger Committee).

 

 

AKKUYU NPP is capable of withstanding:

 
• external explosion of pressure 30 kPa;
 
• earthquake of 9 points;
 
• flooding and tsunami;
 
• plane crash weighing 400 tons at a speed of 200 m/sec.

 

 

Climate Agenda

 

Contribution to the Implementation of National Priorities of Türkiye

 

 

Combating climate change continues to occupy an important place in the development agenda of Türkiye. She had started to integrate the sustainable development practices in the national development plan based on the UN summit in Rio-de-Janeiro in 1992. Having signed the Paris Agreement on April 22, 2016 and ratified on October 6, 2021, Türkiye undertook to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases up to 21% from the usual level of business activity (BAU) by 2030.

 

In accordance with the Eleventh National Development Plan (2019-2023) Türkiye pursues a policy directed at encouraging "green" growth and limiting the tendency for increasing emissions simultaneously with the measures on adaptation for climate change.

 

In the Second Voluntary overview on sustainable development of Türkiye 2019 the following directions of the country's energy development have been specified, which contribute to combating climate change:

 

• increase of the use of renewable energy sources;

 
• enhancement of energy efficiency;

 

• development of nuclear generation.

 

In the 7th National Message (2018) it is noted that nuclear power generation shall become one of the mechanisms of providing safety of deliveries and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of Türkiye.

 

The first NPP in Türkiye shall facilitate reduction of the volume of greenhouse gas emissions by replacing the carbon intensive sources of energy. The Akkuyu NPP shall contribute to the energy independence and safety of the country. At the end of 2021 the share of installed capacities of low-carbon sources of electricity generation such as hydro- and geothermal power stations, wind and solar parks was 51.69%, and the share of electricity generation - 33.45%. After the commissioning of all four units of Akkuyu NPP the share of electricity generation based on low-carbon types of generation in Türkiye shall increase by 6 p.p.*

* Calculated on the basis of IEA’s data on electricity generation in Türkiye for 2019.

 

 

 

Environmental (E)Social (S)Governance (G)