Russian nuclear giant Rosatom plans to sue Germany's Siemens for not supplying equipment to the Akkuyu power plant in Turkey, according to CEO Aleksey Likhachev.
In an interview with Russia 24 TV channel, Mr. Likhachev said that the equipment had been sourced from alternative suppliers to ensure construction on schedule.
"There will be a lawsuit. The equipment was paid for in advance but not delivered. This causes us to bear additional costs, both for purchasing specific equipment and adjusting the time of equipment installation. These are the complaints that will be submitted," said Mr. Likhachev.
The Akkuyu NPP - located in the southern Turkish province of Mersin - is expected to become the country's first nuclear power plant.
The plant was built under a 2010 agreement between Russia and Türkiye. The plant's first nuclear reactor was originally scheduled to be operational in 2023. However, the installation was delayed, causing the schedule to be delayed.
Rosatom has yet to announce the expected date of the first nuclear reactor to be put into operation. All four reactors at the Akkuyu plant, each capable of generating 1,200 megawatts of electricity, are expected to be operational by 2028.
When fully operational, the-20 billion-dollar facility is expected to meet 10% of Turkey's electricity needs, said energy and natural resources minister Alparslan Bayraktar.
In July last year, Likhachev admitted that Western sanctions against Russia had posed challenges, especially in financial transactions and equipment purchases.
Turkey's energy minister has been informed about the situation since September last year, stressing that Siemens' failure to deliver equipment was the reason for the project's delay.
He said the decision was likely due to Western sanctions against Russia following the conflict in Ukraine.
"If Siemens targets sanctions against Russia, Turkey will also be heavily affected by this decision," Bayraktar said.
He said Turkey had reported the content "to the highest level". The Turkish official also stressed that the German company should pay the price for this action.
Turkey currently maintains relations with both Russia and Ukraine. Bayraktar revealed that Rosatom has sourced replacement equipment from factories in China to minimize the impact on the progress of the nuclear power plant project in Turkey.
In September last year, a Siemens spokesperson confirmed that many components had not yet been delivered to Turkey due to German export regulations.
Despite the challenges, Mr. Likhachev stressed that the construction of a nuclear power plant in Turkey is proceeding as planned. He noted that similar nuclear power projects in Bangladesh and Egypt were proceeding as planned.
