‘Turkey mulling nuclear plant in the north’ By Stefanos Evripidou
Published on July 22, 2011
TURKEY IS considering building a Russian model nuclear plant in the occupied north to meet the electricity needs of the entire island, reported Hurriyet Daily News.
According to the paper, Turkey’s Chamber of Mechanical Engineers said Turkey aims to supply electricity for the whole of Cyprus using one of two plans, either building a nuclear plant on the island or laying underwater cables from Turkey.
Haluk Direskeneli, a board member of the Chamber of Mechanical Engineers and head of its Energy Committee, told Hurriyet: “Russia’s barge-mounted nuclear power plant might be built in northern Cyprus.”
He added that such a facility would generate electricity “not only for the Turkish part, but also the Greek part”.
The paper also quoted a Turkish Cypriot source saying both options were mentioned in a recent master plan on energy.
“Turkey’s government is currently working on an energy master plan for the island,” said Direskeneli, who noted the electricity problems currently facing Greek Cypriots following the Mari naval base blast.
According to Direskeneli, the idea of a nuclear power plant in the north was brought up at a seminar in the British Council’s Ankara office on January 16, 2007, with nearly 30 people in attendance, mainly from academic circles and interested “public and private enterprises”.
On Monday, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Y?ld?z said his ministry had prepared a wide-scale master plan for the island that would meet the energy needs of all of Cyprus by 2023.
Hurriyet notes that Turkey plans to build its first nuclear power station at Akkuyu, in Mersin, under a deal signed last year with the Russian State Nuclear Energy Corporation, or Rosatom. The Turkish government aims to begin construction of three nuclear power plants within five years.
The Cyprus Republic has voiced its concern about plans for the Akkuyu plant, particularly following the nuclear disaster in Japan.
“It would be in their best interest now,” said Direskeneli, adding, “Current electricity supply difficulty might push Greek officials to reconsider joint projects with Turkish Cyprus”.
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/cyprus/turke ... h/20110722