China May Build Second Nuclear Plant with Western Firm, Turkey's Energy Minister Yildiz Says

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said Turkey would hold talks on construction of nuclear power plant with Japan, South Korea and China. "China and a consortium from the Western countries may win a bid to build Turkey's second nuclear plant.

China has an advantage in terms of project financing" Yildiz said in a televised press conference in Ankara today. The talks will be held with countries such as Japan, South Korea and China, and the ministry's officials would visit China in the coming week to discuss further details, Yildiz told reporters. (For additonal information, see April 11 article -, Turkey and China Sign Nuclear Energy Cooperation Agreement.

Turkey has secured a Treasury guarantee for the project, which will be carried out after an inter-governmental agreement, he said. The minister added that the nuclear power plant would be built in line with standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the European Union.

Turkey plans to build two nuclear power plants in the next decade. The second facility would be located at Sinop on the northern Black Sea coast. In May 2010, Turkey and Russia signed a deal for the construction of Turkey's first nuclear power plant in Mersin-Akkuyu, a small town on the Mediterranean coast.

The project is expected to cost about 20 billion dollars. Russian state-owned nuclear power company Rosatom is likely to start building the Akkuyu nuclear power plant in 2013 and the first reactor is planned to generate electricity in 2018. Turkish government also gave a electric energy buying guarantee for 10 years.

OIL IMPORTS FROM IRAN WILL CONTINUE

Separately, Turkey will buy crude oil from Saudi Arabia on the spot market after purchases from Iran, which supplies about 40 percent of its oil, decreased, Minister Taner Yildiz said in the meeting. "Iran to remain Turkey's main oil supplier despite cuts" Yildiz said.

Turkey reduced the amount of oil it purchases from Iran by 10 percent on March 30. And also Turkiye Petrol Rafinerileri AS (Kocaeli,Turkey) Turkey's sole refiner announced to reduce crude oil purchases from Iran by 20 percent on March 30th. An EU ban on oil purchases from Iran, the second-largest oil producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, will come into force in July.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaking ahead of a new round of talks on Iran's nuclear program, said his country can last for years without exporting oil on April 10. The first round of nuclear talks were held over the weekend.

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