Rosatom Initiates Legal Action Against Siemens Over Equipment Delays
The Russian state-owned nuclear corporation, Rosatom, has announced plans to file a lawsuit against Siemens, the German engineering giant, due to the company's failure to deliver critical equipment for the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Turkey. This development was revealed by Rosatom's CEO, Aleksey Likhachev, during an interview with a Russian news outlet.
According to Likhachev, the delays have compelled Rosatom to source equipment from alternative suppliers to ensure that construction timelines remain on track. He emphasized that the failure to deliver prepaid equipment has incurred additional costs for the project, both in terms of acquiring replacement equipment and adjusting installation schedules. Likhachev confirmed that legal claims would be filed against Siemens in response to these challenges.
The Akkuyu NPP, located in the Mersin province of southern Turkey, is poised to become the country's inaugural nuclear power facility. This ambitious project stems from a bilateral agreement signed between Russia and Turkey in 2010. Initially, the first reactor was expected to commence operations in 2023; however, recent updates suggest that it will now be operational in 2024, with the complete set of four reactors, each capable of generating 1,200 megawatts, projected to be fully functional by 2028. Once operational, the facility is anticipated to fulfill approximately 10% of Turkey's electricity requirements, as stated by Turkey's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar.
In a previous acknowledgment, Likhachev pointed out that Western sanctions imposed on Russia have created significant hurdles, particularly concerning financial transactions and the procurement of necessary equipment. In September, Turkey's energy minister addressed the situation, attributing the delays to Siemens' non-delivery of essential components.
Bayraktar suggested that the delays might be linked to the sanctions placed on Russia due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, highlighting that these restrictions also have serious repercussions for Turkey. He indicated that Ankara has lodged a formal complaint regarding the matter at a high level, asserting that Siemens should be held accountable for its actions.
Turkey, which has maintained a neutral stance on the sanctions against Russia imposed by Western nations over the Ukraine crisis, continues to foster strong relations with both Moscow and Kyiv. Bayraktar also mentioned that Rosatom has successfully secured alternative equipment from Chinese suppliers to help mitigate the impact of these delays on the project's timeline.
A Siemens representative confirmed earlier this year that some equipment was not delivered to Turkey due to strict German export regulations. Despite these obstacles, Likhachev reassured that the construction of the Akkuyu NPP is advancing according to plan, and highlighted that similar nuclear projects in countries such as Bangladesh and Egypt are also progressing on schedule.
