Turkish Forum

Tag: nuclear power plant

  • Turkey courts Japan after failure of nuclear talks with South Korea

    Turkey courts Japan after failure of nuclear talks with South Korea

    Istanbul – Turkey is seeking a new partner in the construction of a nuclear power plant on the Black Sea coast after talks with South Korea broke down, Turkey’s Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said Monday.

    Turkey was now looking to start talks with Japan after balking at the conditions set out by South Korea for the construction of the plant, Anadolu news agency quoted Yildiz as saying.

    The talks had stumbled on several issues – not only price, she was further quoted as saying.

    Turkey plans to build two nuclear power plants to meet its soaring energy needs.

    The plant that was discussed with South Korea – the second in the pipeline – is to be built near Sinop on the Black Sea coast by 2023.

    Russian firms won the contract to build the country’s first nuclear plant at Akkuyu on the Mediterranean Sea.

    That project, which will consist of four reactors with a total capacity of 4,800 megawatts, is estimated to cost 15 billion euros (20.5 billion dollars) and be completed by 2020.

    The plant has caused controversy, partly because it would be situated in an area prone to earthquakes, but also because Turkey’s plans for the disposal of nuclear waste from the plant are sketchy.

    via Turkey courts Japan after failure of nuclear talks with South Korea – Monsters and Critics.

  • Korea-Turkey nuclear plant talks hit snag

    Korea-Turkey nuclear plant talks hit snag

    By Kim Tong-hyung

    Turkey will start talks with Japanese industrial giant Toshiba over its plans to build a nuclear power plant on its Black Sea coast after negotiations with South Korea hit a snag over money.

    Korea’s state-run Korea Electric Power Corp. had reached a preliminary agreement with Turkish state power company EUAS in March to jointly bid for the contract to build the northern Turkey power plant, which is to be completed by 2019 and estimated to be worth about $20 billion.

    However, the conflict over the plant’s price tag appears to be a significant issue, with Korean President Lee Myung-bak and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan ending their summit in Seoul Saturday without a deal in place.

    Although the Ministry of Knowledge Economy insists that the pause in the talks is just a speed bump and says that the talks will resume as soon as possible. However, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz commenting about inviting Toshiba to the picture shows that the country is open about exploring other options, which would give them better leverage in the talks with Korea at the least.

    Yildiz said the talks with Korea had snagged on issues concerning financial terms, treasury guarantees and the distribution of shares in the planned company that would build and operate the plant.

    “Turkey has agreed to consider some additional and renewed offers presented by us in the recent negotiations. We believe that the negotiations will resume quickly and the countries will be inking a deal soon enough,’’ said an official from the ministry’s nuclear-energy development division.

    “The contract has to include financial terms related to the plant construction as well as electricity sales price.’’

    Korea has been accelerating its attempt to strengthen its position in an expanding market for nuclear-plant construction and operation. The country currently has 20 nuclear-power plants, which provide around 40 percent of the country’s electricity needs.

    In December last year, a team of Korean firms won an $18.6 billion project to build four power-generating nuclear reactors in the United Arab Emirates, beating out rival candidates from the United States and France.

    Korea aims to secure $400 billion of contracts by 2030 as demand for nuclear plants increases. Potential deals are expected in India, Malaysia, Thailand, South Africa and Saudi Arabia.

    thkim@koreatimes.co.kr

  • Talks Between Turkey & S. Korea On Nuclear Power Plant Fail

    Talks Between Turkey & S. Korea On Nuclear Power Plant Fail

    yildizTalks that were carried out in Seoul on construction of a nuclear power plant in Turkey failed.

    Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz said, “We can’t reach a consensus with South Korea. Talks with Japan will begin at the end of the Sacrifice Feast.”

    Replying questions of reporters, Yildiz said both Turkey and South Korea share the same determination and intention regarding the construction of a nuclear power plant in Turkey but the points of disagreement could not be overcome.

    Yildiz said, “Some new reformative conditions had been offered. And, we declared reconsideration. However, we will start to hold talks with other countries. We need a quick negotiation process.”

    Taner Yildiz said their decision to build a nuclear power plant in Turkey has remained same.

    TRT World

  • Turkey to invite Toshiba for nuclear plant talks

    Turkey to invite Toshiba for nuclear plant talks

    (AFP) – 1 day ago

    ANKARA — Turkey will invite Japanese industrial giant Toshiba for talks on building a nuclear power plant after negotiations with South Korea hit snags, a Turkish minister was quoted saying Saturday.

    The invitation to Toshiba will be extended next week, Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said in Seoul, where he accompanied Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Group 20 summit, Anatolia news agency reported.

    Yildiz made the remarks after a meeting between Erdogan and South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak failed to resolve differences on a possible deal to build a nuclear power plant in northern Turkey, estimated to worth about 20 billion dollars (14.6 billion euros).

    “We failed to overcome (disagreements on) certain issues at this meeting… Some improved conditions were proposed and we said we would evaluate them,” Anatolia quoted the minister as saying.

    “But we will begin contacts with other countries as well. We have to enter into a speedy negotiation process,” he said, adding that US and European companies would also be considered as possible partners.

    The state power companies of Turkey and South Korea, EUAS and KEPCO, had signed a preliminary deal in March paving the way for talks aimed at concluding an inter-governmental agreement to build a nuclear power plant at Sinop, on Turkey’s northern Black Sea coast.

    Yildiz said earlier this week the talks had snagged on issues concerning financial terms, treasury guarantees and the distribution of shares in the planned company that would build and operate the plant.

    Overriding opposition from environmentalists, Turkey signed a deal worth 20 billion dollars with Russia in May to build the country’s first nuclear power plant, at Akkuyu on the southern Mediterranean coast.

    Ankara’s objective is to have nuclear plants up and running in at least two regions in 2023.

    The talks with Russia and South Korea came as part of renewed Turkish efforts to acquire atomic energy after an initial tender failed last year.

    Turkey plans to build a total of three nuclear power plants in hopes of preventing a possible energy shortage and reducing dependence on foreign supplies.

    Ankara abandoned an earlier plan to build a nuclear plant at Akkuyu in 2000 amid a severe financial crisis and protests from environmentalists.

  • UPDATE 1-Turkey may eye alternative to S.Korea nuclear plant | Energy & Oil | Reuters

    UPDATE 1-Turkey may eye alternative to S.Korea nuclear plant | Energy & Oil | Reuters

    * South Korea must take steps to secure deal

    * Turkey plans to make decision on plant by end-Dec

    (Adds quotes, details, background)

    By Orhan Coskun

    ANKARA, Nov 10 (Reuters) – Turkey may assess bids from Europe and other countries to build a nuclear power plant on the Black Sea if it fails to reach a deal with South Korea on the project, Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said on Wednesday.

    He said talks on the planned plant at Sinop in northern Turkey would continue at the G-20 meetings in Seoul, but that a deal with South Korea would not be possible if that country failed to take the necessary action in negotiations.

    Yildiz said that issues such as shareholdings, investment volumes and guarantees needed to be clarified.

    “As Turkey, we have reached the final possible point in talks with South Korea on a nuclear power plant. In our contacts, South Korea must take a step for there to be an agreement,” Yildiz told Reuters.

    via UPDATE 1-Turkey may eye alternative to S.Korea nuclear plant | Energy & Oil | Reuters.