At Akkuyu NPP site, AKKUYU NÜKLEER A.Ş. Open Door Day event organized by The event was held in an online format, unique for nuclear power plants under construction, in the framework of the coronavirus measures.
The residents of Silifke, Erdemli and Gülnar, which are the closest settlements to the Akkuyu NPP construction site, attended the event via video conference. More than 600 people from Mersin, Ankara, Istanbul, Bodrum, Konya, Bursa, Trabzon, Izmir and many other cities of the Republic of Turkey watched the event, which was broadcast live. Famous TV presenter Oylum Talu hosted the event.
The opening speech of the event was made by AKKUYU NÜKLEER A.Ş. Its General Manager was Anastasia Zoteeva. In her speech, Zoteeva said: “I am happy to open the doors of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant construction site to anyone who is interested in the construction of the first nuclear power plant in Turkey. This is one of the largest constructions in the world. Work is carried out on four power units at the same time. This is an absolutely unique case for the construction of nuclear power plants. Our nuclear power plant is safe, reliable and modern. The power plant is being built by Russian nuclear experts with more than 75 years of experience in the construction of such facilities, as well as highly professional Turkish builders. Currently, more than 80 people work here, more than 13.000% of whom are Turkish citizens. The interest of the citizens of the Republic of Turkey, and especially the residents living in the vicinity, carries a special precaution for us. Everything we do, we do for you. In doing so, we increase the welfare of the region, and ensure the future of children and grandchildren, the young generation of the Turkish people, who will have a stable supply of electrical energy obtained in one of the safest and most reliable ways using nuclear technologies.”
Having studied in Russia for several years, AKKUYU NÜKLEER A.Ş. Turkish nuclear engineers working at the NGS construction site; NGS Security Inspection Unit Senior Specialist Özlem Arslan and Electricity Department Specialist Yasin Öner organized a virtual tour in the field during the event. Arslan and Öner showed their unique scope of construction works and explained the features of the site, project safety and measures to ensure environmental safety in all details. The engineers also shared information about the technological processes and working principles of the nuclear power plant.
With this virtual tour, the participants will see the construction process of each of the four power units, the Eastern Cargo Terminal, which is the main transportation unit of the project and the receiving place for large-volume equipment, the construction and assembly base where four concrete factories with a concrete production capacity of 3000 cubic meters per day work, the mass assembly of reinforced blocks. He had the chance to see the site where all the main types of steel products and metal constructions are manufactured, which is equipped for the storage of heavy and heavy equipment, as well as for the walls and floors of nuclear power plant buildings. During the broadcast, the unique facilities of the power plant under construction and the construction processes where innovative technological solutions were applied were also shown. The participants of the event also had the opportunity to see the construction of the marine hydrotechnical structures of Akkuyu NPP, where the foundation of the pumping stations and the underground part were built. The features of these structures, which are an important element of the hydrotechnical coastal structures system, were explained to the participants in detail. The guides also explained in detail how to circulate the water to cool the power plant and what to do with the sea water after it is used.
In addition to the field-wide tour during the online broadcast, there was also a live link from the Russian National Research Nuclear University MEPhI. Turkish students currently in their senior year shared their impressions of the fun and interesting educational process at one of Russia's top universities.
Within the scope of the event, AKKUYU NÜKLEER A.Ş. Production and Construction Organization Director Denis Sezemin answered the questions of the audience in the studio. Sezemin talked about the latest situation in the construction of Turkey's first nuclear power plant, the recruitment process of experts, the safety and environment-friendly features of the power plant. Those who asked the best questions to Sezemin won souvenir gifts from AKKUYU NÜKLEER A.Ş.
Attendees of the Open Door Day held online said the following about the event:
Nurettin Kaynar, President of Silifke Chamber of Industry and Commerce: “We attended the introductory presentation of Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant. It was a beautiful presentation. Special thanks to the authorities. We closely watched the investigations carried out in the field and we were very informed and we felt that it is very respectful to nature as the latest technology and will not have any adverse effects on nature. I thank the authorities here.”
Hilal Matban, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Technology Faculty, Energy Systems Engineering Department Student: “Honestly, I didn't know it was such a huge project until I saw it live as part of Open Door Day. Although I am an Energy Systems Engineer candidate, I saw an admirable work field beyond my dreams. Anastasia Zoteeva, Akkuyu Nuclear General Manager, with her general information and explanations, attracted my attention as a very successful and well-versed female engineer. Mrs. Özlem, Specialist of the Radiation Safety Unit, and Mr. Ahmet, the Electrical Unit Specialist, introduced and toured the project area under construction in a very plain language. It was both an admirable and exciting experience to witness such an effective and productive presentation. Although I am an engineer candidate making plans to work on solar energy, I was also very interested in the nuclear world. I even dreamed of being a part of such a project due to living in Adana and the proximity of the location. I hope Akkuyu NPP will facilitate access to energy for our country and people. It made me happy to see such an opportunity and to see and listen to the work in a transparent way. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the making of this study and our Dean, Prof. Dr. Thank you to Hilmi Toker.”
Erdoğan Arslan, Erdemli Ertuğrul Gazi Vocational High School Teacher: “It was definitely a very rewarding event. We had the opportunity to see the developments in the Akkuyu field with our own eyes. It was an inspiration for our students to see their peers studying in Russia. It was very informative. We also heard about the donation made to the schools in Gülnar and we were proud. We will visit Mersin Information Center with our students in the coming days.”
Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Technology Faculty, Energy Systems Engineering Department students Mehmet Osal and Berk Yiğit Adıgüzel: “During the virtual tour, the young engineers showed us the interesting areas at the construction site. The presence of female employees, managers such as Anastasia Zoteeva and Denis Sezemin at the Open Door Event added a special beauty. We learned that with the commissioning of the power plant, we will have one of the best nuclear power plant designs in operation. We saw the benefit of the project to the region. Our opinion has developed that Akkuyu will be positive for our country and the region.”
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