Türkiye’s first nuclear power plant has reached another major milestone toward commissioning, as mock nuclear fuel assemblies were successfully loaded into the reactor pressure vessel of the first unit at Akkuyu.

A total of 163 mock fuel assemblies were placed in the reactor pressure vessel as part of the commissioning program, the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry said, The Caspian Post reports, citing Hurriyet Daily News.

The operation, carried out as a full rehearsal for real fuel loading, tested the plant’s mechanical, hydraulic and thermal systems, as well as structural durability.

The process lasted five days and was conducted by specialist teams under the supervision of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority, in line with international safety requirements.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said the operation marked one of the important stages in preparing the plant for operation.

“We are preparing Akkuyu NPP for operation step by step through work carried out meticulously at every stage,” Bayraktar said.

He said Türkiye aimed to generate the first electricity from the plant’s first unit by the end of 2026.

After the completion of the mock fuel loading, installation work will continue on equipment in the upper part of the reactor.

Once those works are completed, cold and hot tests will be carried out at the reactor facility as part of the commissioning process.

Bayraktar said Türkiye wanted to make zero-emission, uninterrupted nuclear energy one of the strongest sources in its energy mix.

He said the government’s nuclear energy plans would not be limited to Akkuyu, adding that new nuclear plants planned in Sinop and Thrace, as well as small modular reactors, were also part of the country’s production portfolio.

Türkiye aims to reach 20,000 megawatts of nuclear capacity by 2050, Bayraktar said.

Akkuyu, located in the southern province of Mersin, is Türkiye’s first nuclear power plant. The project consists of four units, each designed with a VVER-1200 reactor.