A polar crane has been installed on the second unit of the Turkish Akkuyu nuclear power plant.

The construction of the first Turkish nuclear power plant Akkuyu (Akkuyu) is entering a new, intensive phase. On the second power unit the polar crane bridge was successfully installed, a key part of the equipment for mounting heavy reactor components and the plant's future maintenance

The installation of the 282-ton bridge was carried out at a height of 38.5 meters using a giant crawler crane. The polar crane, whose total weight with all components will be about 500 tons, is distinctive in that it moves on a circular rail laid beneath the containment dome of the protective building (containment).

This crane is a vital part of the equipment that will be used during the plant's decades of operation for assembling heavy equipment, namely mounting the reactor vessel, steam generator, and the pressure compensator; maintenance and handling of parts during overhaul work; and as a fuel transfer during refueling or some other procedure when it is necessary to remove the fuel rods.

The general director of Akkuyu Nuclear, Sergej Butckikh, confirmed that the works on Block 2 are proceeding in parallel with the final preparations for the startup of the first block. Before the crane was installed, the builders poured 240 cubic meters of special self-leveling concrete into the fifth ring of the inner protective building in just six hours.

Open Top Method

The next step on the second unit is the installation of the safety-system reservoirs using the Open Top method – lowering equipment from above, before the dome itself is installed. This method significantly speeds up the works and enables parallel execution of construction and machinery operations.

Context: Russian model on the Turkish coast

As a reminder, the Akkuyu nuclear power plant is being built according to the Russian VVER-1200 design (Generation III+). What makes this project unique in the world is the BOO model (build-own-operate), where Rosatom is not only the contractor but also the owner of the plant that will sell electricity to the Turkish grid.

When all ten blocks (a total of 4,800 megawatts) are completed, Akkuyu will cover about 10% of Turkey's electricity needs. It is expected that the first block will begin delivering electricity to the grid in 2026.