US financing businesses are able to assist nuclear power initiatives in Türkiye, notably small modular reactors (SMRs), however are ready for viable proposals to maneuver ahead, a senior US State Department advisor stated.
“We are waiting for the projects to come forward so we can say… match the project with the money,” Justin Friedman instructed Anadolu on the sidelines of the eleventh Nuclear Power Plants Summit in Istanbul, held July 1-2.
“They are ready to go; we just need good projects to come,” he added.
Friedman stated the US Export-Import Bank and the US International Development Finance Corporation have already issued letters of curiosity price greater than $17 billion for nuclear initiatives in Romania and Poland and are actually Türkiye.
“I know they are exploring opportunities here in Türkiye and have programs to help, particularly SMRs, move forward,” he added.
Türkiye is constructing its first nuclear energy plant, the four-unit Akkuyu undertaking on the Mediterranean coast, in partnership with Russia’s state nuclear company, Rosatom. Once absolutely operational, the plant is anticipated to provide about 10% of Türkiye’s electrical energy demand for no less than 60 years.
Ankara additionally plans large-scale crops in Sinop on the Black Sea and within the northwestern Thrace area, focusing on 20 gigawatts of put in nuclear capability by 2050. Officials are additionally evaluating SMRs as a part of the nation’s long-term power combine.
Friedman, who beforehand served as political counselor on the US Embassy in Ankara between 2014 and 2017, stated there may be pure potential for cooperation between US and Turkish corporations within the SMR sector.
“Turkish companies already, today, are providing parts, supplies, and services for nuclear projects outside of Türkiye,” he stated. “It is only natural that US companies would want to seek that expertise and take advantage of it as they explore projects here in Türkiye.”
– Collaborating on nuclear power may assist 2 nations strengthen partnership, Friedman says
Friedman described this as an “exciting time” for the worldwide nuclear sector, noting that US President Donald Trump has set a goal of including 400 gigawatts of nuclear capability within the US by 2050. “That is a very ambitious goal, and that is why the US is in the lead around the world,” he stated.
He added that Washington sees nuclear cooperation as a key pillar of its broader strategic relationship with Ankara. “Nuclear is a piece of that. And we are hoping that by working together on the nuclear energy issue, we can extend and grow our partnership,” he stated.
Friedman stated the US and Türkiye are “deep friends and good partners” and expressed hope that nuclear cooperation would proceed to develop. “We see indications on both sides that we want to move forward, and I am just happy to be here to be part of that,” he stated.
When requested whether or not a bilateral nuclear settlement might be anticipated quickly, Friedman stated: “I hope for a deal soon. I hope to be part of the team that develops that deal. But there is nothing I can talk about right now.”
Source: www.anews.com.tr