Canadian engineering firm AtkinsRealis is among the potential candidates that could contribute to the construction of Turkey’s second nuclear power plant, stated Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, according to Reuters.
Canada and Turkey-both NATO allies-have elevated their relationship to a “strategic partnership” during the first-ever bilateral visit by a Canadian Prime Minister to Turkey. This move comes as Carney seeks new global trading partners to reduce reliance on the United States.
The new partnership, signed in Ankara, covers areas such as trade and investment, defense, security, and energy. It aims to create jobs and provide opportunities for Canadian and Turkish companies to expand their business collaboration, reports Agerpres.
When asked about discussions regarding Canada’s potential involvement in Turkey’s second nuclear power plant-a project for which Ankara has also held talks with South Korea, Russia, China, and Japan-Prime Minister Carney noted that the final decision rests with the Turkish government, though he emphasized that Canada’s prospects are currently stronger.
“If you had asked us a year ago what the chances were, we would have said they were very slim. Now, however, there is a chance. Of course, there is real competition,” Carney told journalists in Istanbul, adding that a decision on the matter could be reached before the end of the year. Carney noted that the strengths of the Canadian CANDU technology, partnerships with various Turkish companies-including those in the construction sector-and the ability to develop elements of the supply chain make the offer from AtkinsRealis “an extremely attractive proposition.”
Rosatom, a company controlled by the Russian state, is building Turkey’s first nuclear power plant at Akkuyu, in the Mediterranean province of Mersin, under a $20 billion agreement signed in 2010. Last week, Rosatom announced that it expects the first reactor to be commissioned by the end of the year.
Turkey intends to build a second nuclear power plant in the Sinop region, on the Black Sea, and also has plans for a third plant in the Thrace region, in the northwest of the country.