Russia’s Rosatom uses equipment from its “Chinese friends” in place of German-made Siemens systems for nuclear power plant project in Turkey

The Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant construction site in Turkey's southern Mersin province, July 20, 2023. Photo: AA Photo.

In October, Russian state corporation Rosatom faced a challenge in its construction of Turkey's first nuclear power plant (NPP), Akkuyu: due to international sanctions, German multinational Siemens refused to supply the necessary equipment. Speaking to the Turkish newspaper Sabah, Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev recently revealed that the issue was resolved by sourcing replacements from China.

“The project encountered numerous difficulties [like] sanctions. These included incidents such as the German company Siemens refusing to supply the gas-insulated switchgear for the power distribution system, which is critical equipment, despite having already produced it,” Likhachev was quoted by the publication as saying.

“As soon as we realized the issue we were facing with Siemens, we turned to our Chinese friends, and they extended a helping hand. Chinese experts arrived, and more than half of the equipment was installed. We are now closing the gap caused by the challenges imposed by our German suppliers,” he added.

Siemens, which manufactured but did not deliver the equipment for Turkey's nuclear power plant to Russia, has affiliated factories and operations in China. In 2023, the Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua reported that Siemens planned to invest €2 billion to expand its production facilities in the country — including €140 million in Sichuan Province alone. These facilities focus on producing automation equipment for manufacturing processes developed by Siemens.

A source in Russia’s nuclear industry who spoke to The Insider on the condition of anonymity confirmed that Siemens was likely expected to supply automated process control systems for the Turkish NPP — rather than turbine generators.

Issues with Russian-made equipment

In a recent post on his blog, nuclear physicist Andrey Ozharovsky wrote that the main problem facing Rosatom stems from Russian industry’s inability to supply its own equipment for large-scale international projects:

“The Akkuyu NPP relied on Siemens equipment, but when that option fell through, it was replaced with [an alternative] made by China, not Russia. This highlights Russia’s inability to produce the necessary components for nuclear power plants built by Rosatom abroad. While domestic NPPs manage to source manufacturers, such as turbine generator producers, these solutions are notably absent when it comes to exports.”

Incident at Novovoronezh NPP

Ozharovsky noted that the Russian company Power Machines, based in St. Petersburg, previously produced equipment for power plants with similar reactor types — including turbine generators. However, the equipment did not fully meet all relevant standards.

On Nov. 10, 2016, a short circuit in the generator stator at Unit 6 of the Novovoronezh NPP, the first equipped with the new VVER-1200 reactor, caused a fire that destroyed expensive equipment.

“The short circuit was caused by the generator's design features combined with loading conditions at the plant,” the Power Machines press service told international environmental NGO Bellona.

The damaged stator was sent back to the manufacturer for repairs — and potential use at other sites — though details regarding the repair cost and its financing were not disclosed. Ozharovsky’s post addressed this issue as well:

“At 1200 MW, a short circuit isn’t just a spark or lightning — it’s a miracle no one was injured. The unplanned repair at the Novovoronezh NPP unit took 2.5 months. While the identified defects in the generator’s design were corrected, the question remains: how many similar issues still exist?”

The use of unit 6 atf the Novovoronezh NPP was halted following the incident, but full operation resumed in January 2017. The malfunction was deemed a warranty case, and the damaged generator was replaced with equipment initially intended for Unit 7, which was then under construction. As a result, the launch of the first units under the NPP-2006 project faced delays of nearly five years.

Changes in the Akkuyu NPP’s launch timeline

Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously announced that the Akkuyu NPP’s first unit would launch in 2023. However, Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev was not able to confirm this date, adding that Akkuyu’s launch had been rescheduled for 2024.

Likhachev noted that the implementation of the project is being hindered by U.S. sanctions — particularly “difficulties with the settlement system” and the freezing of Russian government funds. Despite the financial setbacks, Likhachev stressed that Turkey continues to recognize Rosatom's “serious commitment” to the Akkuyu NPP project — a level of devotion so high that, in the Russian state company CEO’s words, it is as if Russia is building the nuclear facility “at home and for itself.

According to Likhachev, as of Dec. 16, Chinese specialists have installed more than half of the required equipment, compensating for the German suppliers' refusal to complete the order. Work is reportedly progressing across all four units. Turbine shaft rotation has been completed at the first unit, signaling the system's operational readiness. At the second unit, the main equipment has been installed, and work is underway to mount safety systems. Installation of the reactor vessel for the third unit is scheduled for 2024.

The entire project is expected to be completed by 2028, with all four units featuring Russian-designed VVER Generation III+ reactors, each with a capacity of 1200 MW.