Turkey and United States sign $2 million deal to evaluate SMR and next-gen reactors

Turkey and the United States concluded a new nuclear cooperation pact focused on small modular reactors (SMRs) and fourth-generation reactor concepts. The agreement, between Türkiye Nuclear Energy Inc. (TÜNAŞ) and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), tasks a technical study with evaluating four U.S. SMR designs and five advanced reactor models across technical, economic, regulatory and licensing criteria. Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced that the assessment aligns with Turkey’s ambition to reach net-zero emissions by 2053 and to broaden its energy mix for greater independence.

USTDA will finance the study with about $2 million for at least a year, covering design characteristics, costs, supply-chain issues, SWOT analyses and safety considerations. The memorandum of understanding on strategic civil nuclear cooperation was previously signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Donald Trump at the White House, and the new agreement was formalised on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.