Turkey to send 80 students to Russia for nuke training

Turkey will send 80 more students to Russia to get nuclear energy education in addition to the 300 students who have already been to Russia for the same purposes, Energy Minister Taner Y?ld?z said Feb. 9.

"In line with the intergovernmental agreement between Turkey and Russia to establish a nuclear plant in the southern province of Akkuyu, we are preparing to send 80 more students to Russia to get nuclear energy education. Some 300 students have already been to Russia for the same purpose," he said at the launch meeting of the National Renewable Energy Action Plan.

Some 30 of the 80 students will be sent to the Polytechnical State University in St. Petersburg for the first time, with the remaining 50 students going to the National Nuclear Studies University (MEPHI), Y?ld?z added.

He also said the share of the private sector has increased from 32 percent to 72 percent in the energy sector over the last 12 years, adding the amount of power generated from wind power had risen to 4,000 megawatts (MW) in the same period from just 19 MW. Some 330 MW of the predefined 600 MW solar power capacity has been opened to tender, Y?ld?z added.