Akkuyu: Rosatom installs 282-tonne polar crane bridge on unit 2
At Akkuyu, in Turkey's Mersin province, Rosatom has installed the metallic structures of the polar crane bridge on unit 2. The 282-tonne crane prepares for closure of the reactor's inner containment dome.
| Sectors | Nuclear Energy, Fission |
|---|---|
| Themes | Project Development, Construction |
| Companies | Rosatom, Akkuyu Nuclear |
| Countries | Türkiye, Russia |
Rosatom has reached a new milestone in the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant by installing the metallic structures of the polar crane bridge on unit 2. This 282-tonne suspended circular crane will be mounted under the inner containment dome of the reactor building, in the southern province of Mersin, Turkey. As commissioning milestones multiply across the nuclear sector ahead of 2026, the Akkuyu construction site is among the most closely watched projects led by the Russian group. Unit 1 is expected to begin supplying Turkey's electricity grid in 2026, in line with the current schedule.
A 500-tonne crane for heavy in-reactor operations
The polar crane is a suspended circular crane that travels along a circular rail above the reactor shaft. Its trolley moves along the bridge, providing access to all areas of the reactor building. The total weight of the crane, once all elements are assembled, would reach approximately 500 tonnes according to Akkuyu Nuclear. It will be used for handling large equipment, primary circuit maintenance and fuel reloading.
Sergei Butckikh, Chief Executive Officer of Akkuyu Nuclear, stated that construction work was progressing simultaneously across all units at the site. He noted that the concreting of the fifth tier of the inner containment had just been completed: the operation took approximately six hours and required the continuous placement of 240 cubic metres of self-sealing concrete. The polar crane structures were installed following this step.
The Open Top method at the core of the assembly sequence
The installation of the polar crane structures prepares the next stage: the placement of safety system tanks using the Open Top method, which involves installing equipment before the containment dome is definitively closed. This sequence in turn conditions the installation of the inner containment dome of unit 2's reactor compartment. Akkuyu Nuclear presents this progress as the result of intensive coordination between pre-commissioning operations at unit 1 and civil construction work on the other units.
Rosatom is building four VVER-1200 reactors at Akkuyu under a BOO (build-own-operate) model. This contractual model, which Rosatom is also deploying in other countries, grants the Russian group long-term ownership and operation of the facilities. All four reactors are currently under construction, with first concrete for the fourth unit poured in July 2022.
A schedule framed by a 2010 intergovernmental agreement
Turkey's first nuclear power plant, Akkuyu received its construction licence for unit 1 in 2018. Nuclear fuel was delivered to the site in April 2023, and Turkey's Nuclear Regulatory Agency (TAEK) granted authorisation to commission the unit in December 2023. The intergovernmental agreement signed in 2010 between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey stipulated that commissioning of the first unit should occur within seven years of receiving construction permits. When the 4,800 MWe plant is fully operational, it is expected to cover approximately 10% of Turkey's electricity needs, according to projections put forward.
