Canadian engineering firm AtkinsRealis will study a possible new nuclear power plant in Türkiye using Canadian CANDU reactor technology, under an agreement signed on Thursday at the COP31 climate summit in Antalya. The deal marks a further step in Türkiye's push to expand nuclear power beyond its first plant, now under construction on the Mediterranean coast.

Reuters reported that AtkinsRealis subsidiary Candu Energy signed a memorandum of agreement with Türkiye's state-owned nuclear energy company, TÜNAS, to carry out a comprehensive feasibility study and front-end engineering and design work for a potential multi-unit project. The study is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.

A six-unit plant under discussion

Joe St. Julian, president of nuclear at AtkinsRealis, told Reuters that the two sides were discussing a six-unit plan for a 4.5-gigawatt plant in Türkiye. He said the engineering design study was expected to be completed by 2028, leading to a final investment decision.

Türkiye has identified sites in the Black Sea province of Sinop and the north-western Thrace region as potential locations for new plants. The country is already building its first nuclear plant, the 4.8-gigawatt Akkuyu project in the Mediterranean province of Mersin, where Russia's Rosatom is the contractor. That project has faced repeated delays, and Rosatom now expects the first reactor to achieve its first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction before the end of this year.

Türkiye's nuclear ambitions

Ankara has said it is in talks with Canada, South Korea, Russia, Japan and China about a potential plant, and has signed memorandums of understanding on nuclear cooperation with Canada and South Korea. Financing and costs are a key factor in the choice of partner.

Last week, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar unveiled Türkiye's national energy plan, saying Ankara aims to raise nuclear capacity to 10 gigawatts by 2040 and expects nuclear power to meet 11% of electricity demand by then. The AtkinsRealis study will assess the technical, environmental, infrastructure and economic case for adding Canadian-built reactors to that programme.

CANDU is a heavy-water reactor technology developed in Canada, and the company says its reactors have some of the highest capacity factors of all reactor types. For Canada, the deal supports a government ambition to expand the global reach of CANDU technology. Canada's Nuclear Energy Strategy, released earlier this year, identified international partnerships, exports and market diversification as priorities. CANDU is a heavy-water reactor technology developed in Canada, and 34 CANDU reactors have been built on four continents. AtkinsRealis said the agreement also supports Türkiye's energy goals while advancing Canada's position as a nuclear exporter.