Reuters reported that Turkey is expected to cancel a tender won by a Russian led consortium to build a nuclear power plant on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey.

The tender, won 2008 by the sole bidder a consortium of Inter RAO, Atomstroiexport and Turkey’s Park Teknik was jeopardized last week when a Turkish court ruled the tender invalid over issues such as power pricing.

The sources said that Turkey would reissue the tender for the plant in Akkuyu on the Mediterranean coast and launch a second tender to build and operate a nuclear power plant in Sinop on the Black Sea in 2010.

Mr Taner Yıldız energy minister of Turkey’s said earlier that Turkey, which is trying to prevent power shortfalls with new investments in nuclear power will issue the second of a planned three tenders in 3 to 4 months.

The nuclear tender is part of a major raft of energy deals between Turkey and Russia signed earlier 2009 with agreements ranging from nuclear power to Turkish permission for a Russian pipeline to pass through its waters. The government wants nuclear energy to meet 20% of Turkey’s power needs within 20 years.

(Sourced from Reuters)