SBERBANK, Russia’s largest bank, has announced that it will provide a $ 400 million loan for the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant in Mersin, southern Turkey.
The seven-year loan will be provided to a subsidiary of Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear power company responsible for the construction of the plant.
“It is the first time that we work with Rosatom on an international project of this size”, said Anatoly Popov, Sberbank’s deputy chairman.
Akkuyu General Manager, Anastasia Zotyeva pointed out the importance of the agreement with Sberbank. She said that the involvement of large institutions such as Sberbank alongside governmental capital underlines how attractive Akkuyu is to foreign investors and institutions.
The 4,800 MW power plant aims to reduce Turkey’s dependence on energy imports, but the plant has faced several delays since Russia was awarded the contract in 2010, some were for financial reasons.
