Landmark is key element of commissioning process for Russia-supplied reactor
A batch of 163 dummy nuclear fuel assemblies has been loaded at Turkey’s Akkuyu-1 nuclear power plant in the southern province of Mersin as a key part of the commissioning process.
Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom said the dummy fuel is designed to be an exact replica of nuclear fuel in design, weight and dimensions. Its loading is key to checking systems for loading the real fuel as well as confirming readiness for the next stage of commissioning operations.
The dummy fuel does not contain any nuclear materials and its loading precedes the cold and hot running tests of reactor plant equipment during the commissioning process for new units, before the reactor starts up.
Sergei Butckikh, chief executive officer of project company Akkuyu Nuclear, said: “The completion of loading of dummy fuel assemblies at Akkuyu NPP Unit 1 is a full rehearsal for loading nuclear fuel.
“Using the dummies, we work out procedures for handling nuclear fuel in conditions as close to operational as possible, and confirm the readiness of equipment and personnel for the next pre-launch stage.”
Akkuyu, Turkey’s first nuclear station, will have four Russia-supplied Generation III+ VVER-1200 pressurised water reactor units. Construction of Akkuyu-4 started in July 2022.
Akkuyu-1, the first unit, was expected to be online in late 2025 or early 2026, but the latest schedule eyes first power generation by the end of 2026.
According to reports in December 2025, Russia had provided an additional $9bn (€7.7bn) for the Akkuyu plant, with total financing valued at $20bn.
