Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar announced that talks with China regarding the nuclear power plant planned for the Thrace region are nearing completion, stating, “We are working to conclude this intergovernmental agreement within a few months.”
During his visit to China, Bayraktar said in an interview with CGTN channel that there is ample opportunity for extensive cooperation between the two countries in energy.
Turkey and China signed a “Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Energy Transformation.”
Bayraktar emphasized the need to increase investments to meet the growing energy demand in Turkey and mentioned efforts to reduce import dependency and carbon emissions.
Pointing out the need for various steps in the energy sector to achieve these goals, Bayraktar stated, “We need to use our renewable resources. Secondly, we need to add nuclear energy to our energy diversity. Thirdly, we need to use natural gas as a transition fuel. We also need to invest in critical minerals, storage, hydrogen, and some new technologies.”
Bayraktar highlighted China’s significant global position in renewable and nuclear energy, stating, “China is a global leader in many aspects of renewable energy. The country has major renewable equipment suppliers and renewable energy generator companies. In nuclear energy, it is building many new reactors. Therefore, I believe we have a common understanding and goals in these areas. That’s why we attach great importance to energy cooperation with China.”
Bayraktar mentioned concrete steps taken towards cooperation during meetings with the Minister of Natural Resources and the Head of the National Energy Administration, saying, “I was invited as a speaker to an international mining conference to be held in China in October. We will most likely sign a kind of framework agreement on cooperation in mining with the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources.”
Bayraktar emphasized that critical minerals are vital not only for China or Turkey but also for the global economy, mentioning the need for a large amount of raw materials for new technologies such as electric vehicles and batteries in the transition to green energy.
Bayraktar stated that they are in cooperation with China in the field of nuclear energy, saying, “Our cooperation with China in the nuclear field dates back to 2016, and we signed a cooperation agreement with a Chinese company in the nuclear field. Since then, we have been in talks to build 4 nuclear reactors in Thrace, which is one of the significant consumption regions. Now, we have a stronger roadmap ahead, and hopefully, we will be able to conclude all these negotiations with this company.”
Bayraktar pointed out that if an intergovernmental agreement is signed for the nuclear energy project, it will be a significant partnership for both countries, stating, “We are working to conclude this intergovernmental agreement within a few months.”
source: aa.com.tr/ prepared by Melisa Beğiç