June 09, 2026 – Dummy fuel assemblies loading operation into the reactor vessel of Unit 1 of Akkuyu NPP (under construction by Rosatom State Corporation) has been completed.
During the operation, 163 fuel dummies, which are exact replicas of nuclear fuel in design, weight and dimensions, but not containing nuclear materials, were sequentially loaded into the reactor. Dummy fuel assemblies for Akkuyu NPP Unit 1, as well as the nuclear fuel, were manufactured at a Rosatom Fuel Division facility.
Fuel dummies loading is one of the final stages of preparation for the cold–hot running-in of the reactor plant equipment, preceding the reactor start-up. Carrying out such an operation using dummy assemblies allows to confirm readiness for subsequent commissioning operations, during which specialists will check the hydraulic characteristics of the reactor plant, as well as work out transport and technological operations using the fuel-handling machine.
Upon loading of fuel dummies, the specialists will begin assembling the reactor and preparing for the next key stage of Unit commissioning – the cold-hot running-in of the reactor plant.
The fuel dummies loading operation was carried out under the supervision of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Türkiye (NDK) in strict accordance with relevant safety requirements.
Akkuyu NPP is the first nuclear power plant being built in the Republic of Türkiye. The Akkuyu NPP project includes four power units equipped with Generation 3+ VVER reactors of Russian design.
The capacity of each power unit is 1200 MW. Akkuyu NPP is the first project in the global nuclear industry being implemented according to the Build-Own-Operate business model.
