The US financing agencies are ready to bankroll nuclear energy projects in Türkiye, particularly small modular reactors (SMRs), but are waiting for viable proposals, a senior US State Department advisor said.
“We're waiting for the projects to come forward so we can say, match the project with the money,” Justin Friedman told Anadolu on the sidelines of the 11th Nuclear Power Plants Summit in Istanbul, held July 1-2.
“They're ready to go, we just need good projects to come,” added Friedman.
The senior advisor said that the US EXIM Bank and the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) have already issued letters of interest worth more than $17 billion for reactors in Romania and Poland and are now looking at Türkiye.
“I know that they are exploring opportunities here in Türkiye, and have programs to help particularly SMRs to move forward,” he added.
Türkiye is building its first nuclear power plant, the four-unit Akkuyu project on the Mediterranean coast in partnership with Russia’s state nuclear agency, Rosatom. The reactors are slated to enter service one year apart and, once fully online, are expected to meet about 10 percent of the nation’s electricity demand for at least 60 years.
Ankara also plans large-scale plants in Sinop on the Black Sea and in the northwestern Thrace region, aiming for a total of 20 gigawatts of installed nuclear capacity by 2050. In parallel, officials are evaluating SMRs as part of the country’s long-term energy mix.
Commenting on the potential cooperation between the two sides in the field of SMRs, Friedman, who served as political counselor at the US Embassy in Ankara between 2014 and 2017, said, “We should expect a natural, organic cooperation between US and Turkish companies.”
“Turkish companies already, today, are providing parts and supplies, and services for nuclear projects outside of Türkiye," he said.
"It's only natural that US companies would want to seek that expertise and take advantage of it as they explore projects here in Türkiye,” he added.
- By working together on nuclear energy, the two countries may grow partnership, Friedman says
Friedman called the current moment “an exciting time” for the global nuclear sector, noting that US President Donald Trump has set a goal of adding 400 gigawatts of nuclear capacity in the US by 2050. “That’s a very ambitious goal, and that’s why the US is in the lead around the world,” he said.
He added that Washington sees nuclear cooperation as a pillar of its broader strategic relationship with Ankara. “Nuclear is a piece of that. And, we're hoping that by working together on the nuclear energy issue, we can extend and grow our partnership.”
The senior advisor said the US and Türkiye are “deep friends and good partners” and expressed hope that their cooperation would continue to grow in the nuclear energy field. “We see indications on both sides that we want to move forward, and I’m just happy to be here to be part of that,” he said.
When asked whether a bilateral nuclear agreement could be expected soon, Friedman said, “I hope for a deal soon. I hope to be part of the team that develops that deal. But there’s nothing I can talk about right now.”
By Firdevs Yuksel and Handan Kazanci
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com