en.Wedoany.com Reported - Canadian nuclear energy company AtkinsRealis expects Turkey to complete an early assessment of CANDU (Canada Deuterium Uranium) reactors this summer, potentially paving the way for specific discussions on nuclear power plant bids. Gary Rose, Executive Vice President of AtkinsRealis, said on the sidelines of the Istanbul Nuclear Industry Conference that the company has formed five teams to submit a large amount of information to Turkey's state power plant operator TUNAS, enabling its decision-makers to formulate recommendations.

Turkey's first nuclear power plant, built by Russia's Rosatom at a cost of $20 billion with an installed capacity of 4.8 gigawatts, is scheduled to put its first unit into operation this year. Ankara is also in talks with South Korea's KEPCO and China's SPIC for two subsequent nuclear plants. AtkinsRealis signed a memorandum of understanding with TUNAS in March to assess the suitability of CANDU technology for Turkey, becoming the latest supplier to join the competition. Last month, two senior Turkish ministers visited CANDU and Cernavoda nuclear power plants in Canada and Romania, respectively.

Currently, Turkey still faces a 2.4-gigawatt installed capacity gap to meet its mid-2035 nuclear energy target, requiring a swift decision on a partner for the second reactor.