Of the three companies that initially bid for the development contract for the first Turkish nuclear reactor at Akkuyu, two have submitted new proposals after the project latest cancellation, Reuters reports.
The alliance of Westinghuse and Mitsubishi and the AECL-led consortium have agreed to relinquish Turkish treasury guarantees on the project, first tendered by the power authority TEAS back in 1997. AECL has said that it would be prepared to construct the first 670 MWe unit without guarantees, but would require security to the tune of $2 – $2.5 billion for the second phase due to begin construction in the period 2002 – 2004. Westinghouse would accept a facility of around $100 million to initially start the project, but would forego further guarantees from the treasury. The third bidder NPI, an alliance of Framatome and Siemens, is reportedly not prepared to submit new proposals for the project that is estimated to cost up to $4.5 billion. The planned nuclear facility has been cancelled on eight separate occasions.
