Turkey set to build first nuclear plant

MERSIN, Turkey, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Russia will likely play an integral part in the construction of Turkey's first nuclear energy power plant, a Turkish government official said.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler said initial signs indicated the Turkish-Russian Joint Venture, Atomstroyexport-Inter Rao-Park Teknik, will win the bidding war for the Mersin nuclear plant project, Today's Zaman said Friday.

The Turkish Atomic Energy Agency deemed the plant's design technically sufficient.

Sources said the Turkish agency has approved the Russian venture's involvement in the landmark project, Today's Zaman said.

The Turkish agency had been reviewing the consortium's plans to ensure a nuclear plant in Mersin's Akkuyu district would involve state-of-the-art technology.

The energy group also needed to determine if the venture's goals regarding the site would follow International Atomic Energy Agency regulations.

Today's Zaman said if the nuclear project goes as planned, the plant's design should minimize nuclear accident fallout and produce 4,000 megawatts of power.

.