The Turkish subsidiary of Russia’s nuclear energy company Rusatom plans to launch its project to build the first nuclear power plant (NPP) in Turkey next year, Russian news agency Tass reported, citing a statement from the Rosatom State Nuclear Corporation.

Russia and Turkey signed an inter-governmental agreement in 2010 on cooperation in the construction and operation of Turkey’s first NPP. The $20-billion Akkuyu NPP project stipulates building four power units with VVER-1200 reactors and a total capacity of 4,800 MW in the southern Turkish province of Mersin. The plant is estimated to meet around 6-7 per cent of Turkey's electricity demand.

The project is carried out by Akkuyu Nuclear Company, a subsidiary of Rosatom Energy International, which was granted a 49-year-long electricity generation license from the Turkish Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) on Thursday.

"After carefully reviewing the bid, the EPDK managing council decided to give the green light to the bid and issued a power generation license to Akkuyu Nuclear Company, valid until June 15, 2066 (49 years)," Rosatom said in a statement.

Akkuyu Nuclear also expects to obtain permissions from the Ministry of Forest and Water Management, the Ministry of Finance and the Turkish Atomic Energy Authority (TAEK) this summer. Those permissions will enable Akkuyu Nuclear to start the construction of auxiliary facilities and other sections of the nuclear power plant not directly related to nuclear power generation.

Main construction works, however, are expected to begin in March 2018, after Rosatom receives the main license.

"In line with the intergovernmental agreement, the first unit is to be put on stream no later than seven years after the Turkish side issues all required permissions," Rosatom said.