ANKARA, December 1 /TASS/. Russia and Turkey on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding for training personnel for the nuclear power sector and related industries as part of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Turkey.
Sergei Kiriyenko, the head of the Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation, and Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz put their signatures under the document.
A total of 250 Turkish students are currently studying in Russia. They will work at Akkuyu, Turkey’s first nuclear power plant, upon graduation.
Nuclear power station Akkuyu
The Rosatom State Corporation is helping Turkey to build the Akkuyu plant, which is to be completed in 2022. The overall amount of investments is valued at 20 billion dollars.
“It is possible but no talks are under way so far,” Kiriyenko told TASS.
He added that Russia was launching the construction of Turkey’s first nuclear power station - Akkuyu. The second nuclear power plant is to be built by a Japanese-French consortium.
“The Turkish government does not confine the development of the national nuclear power industry to these two stations. It’s going to develop and expand,” Kiriyenko said.
For the moment, Rosatom has signed contracts for 27 units for the Akkuyu nuclear power plant valued at 100 billion dollars, Kirieynko told journalists.
“Our portfolio of orders is growing, including foreign orders for 27 nuclear power units. We take account only of signed contracts with strong commitments. Inter-governmental agreements and protocols of intent do not count,” Kiriyenko said stressing the portfolio’s cost had already reached almost 100 billion dollars.
Rosatom plans to start the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant in Turkey in March 2015, Kiriyenko went on to say.
He said that a document on the station’s impact on environment had been officially approved on Monday. “That was the key problem. Without this document we simply could not make any further moves to seek a license,” the Rosatom chief explained.
Meanwhile, Rosatom is waiting for an 18% tax discount /from 20% to 2%/ for the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant in Turkey.
Turkish President Tayyip Recep Erdogan has issued instructions to the Turkish government to study the issue but has not given any tax discounts to the Russian corporation as of yet.
“The process (of making a decision) is under way. We really believe it would be right to pass this decision given the project’s special role, its status and measures which Russia is taking to implement it. The talk is about granting a formal status of strategic investor /to Rosatom/,” Kiriyenko stressed.
Rosatom wants to get 18% tax discount from Turkey for construction of Akkuyu nuclear power plant
The Rosatom State Corporation for Nuclear Energy is waiting for an 18% tax discount (from 20% to 2%) for the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant in Turkey, Rosatom’s head Sergei Kiriyenko said on Monday.
Turkish President Tayyip Recep Erdogan has issued instructions to the Turkish government to study the issue but has not given any tax discounts to the Russian corporation as of yet.