France/Japan/Turkey

In order to sustain its steady economic growth Turkey wishes to build 3 nuclear power plants in the next future. In 2010 an agreement was signed with Russia to build the first one on the Akkuyu site in the south region. In last may an agreement was signed between Turkey and Japan to open exclusive trade talks for the construction of a second nuclear power plant that will be localized near the Black sea 320 km away from Ankara. This plant will home 4 reactors probably of the ATMEA1 type, provided by Atmea, the co-enterprise between Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Areva. Turk authorities have justified this choice by highlighted the Japanese know-how concerning resistance to earthquakes and the technological quality of Areva. (A.C.)