Nuclear energy draft bill to be submitted

Senior officials from the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) have been preparing a draft bill on Turkey's nuclear energy program.

The draft bill, which is expected to be submitted to the parliament next month, will replace a 2018 presidential decree, which was revoked by the Constitutional Court on the ground that such a comprehensive regulation should be approved by lawmakers.

The bill will regulate the responsibilities of nuclear reactor operators, insurance policy in this field and the obligations in storing nuclear waste.

It has to be in accord with international agreements signed by Turkey, particularly the Paris Agreement.

Meanwhile, a nuclear energy watchdog will be established by a presidential decree.

The first unit of Turkey's first nuclear power plant will be taken online in 2023.

The Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) will produce 35 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually to meet around 10 percent of Turkey's power consumption.

An intergovernmental agreement for the Akkuyu NPP, which is currently under construction in the Mediterranean province of Mersin, was signed between Turkey and Russia in May 2010.

The plant will have four VVER-1200 power reactors upon completion.

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