Turkey and US sign agreement on small modular reactors

Turkey and the United States have signed an agreement to collaborate on the implementation of small modular reactors (SMRs) and fourth-generation reactor designs. The agreement, signed in New York by officials from the Turkey Nuclear Energy Joint Stock Company (TÜNAŞ) and the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), involves a $2 million grant from the USTDA to fund a one-year technical study.

The study will evaluate various engineering specifications, costs, licensing requirements, supply chains, and financing models. It aims to establish the institutional and regulatory framework necessary to involve Turkish private companies in SMR projects and assess how American reactor designs can meet the specific needs of the Turkish market.

This move is part of Turkey's broader national energy strategy to expand its nuclear sector. While Turkey is currently building its first large-scale nuclear plant, Akkuyu, with Russia's Rosatom, the government is actively seeking technological alternatives to diversify its energy sources and reduce long-term dependence on any single provider. Turkey aims to have SMR capacity of 5,000 megawatts and cover 10% to 15% of its electricity consumption through nuclear sources by 2050.