🇵🇰 Nuclear Power Plants ... Pakistan (1 Viewer)

[ghazi]

Nuclear Power Plants in Pakistan​

Pakistan in 2015 produced 111 TWh of electricity, 41 TWh of this from oil, 29 from natural gas and 34 from hydro. Nuclear power makes a small contribution to total electricity production and requirements, supplying only 6.1 TWh (5.5%) of the electricity in 2015. There was no export and virtually no import, and about 17% of production is lost during transmission. Consumption in 2015 came to about 88 TWh or about 450 kWh per capita on average – although around one-quarter of the population has no access to electricity. Total installed capacity was about 25 GWe as of June 2017b, but often only about 12 GWe is operable.

Energy policy

In July 2013 the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved about 3.5 GWe of new power projects totalling PKR 1303 billion ($12.4 billion), comprising 2200 MWe nuclear, 425 MWe gas combined cycle, and 969 MWe hydro. These are designed to reduce the high reliance on oil and to reduce power costs. All depend on Chinese support.

Electricity infrastructure is a significant part of the $51 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects from 2016 which will link Kashgar in China’s Xinjiang region to Pakistan’s deep-water port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea. The CPEC includes roads and railways running much of the length of Pakistan and funded by three Chinese banks, and a 4000 MW HVDC grid development costing $1.5 billion over 2017-18. Some $33 billion of the CPEC total is for energy infrastructure, notably 10 GWe of generating capacity by 2020, mostly coal-fired, which is expected to provide 24% of the country’s power by 2020. Lignite is the main fuel envisaged, from the Thar Desert region of Sindh.

CPEC projects are a significant element in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and are unprecedented in scale in Pakistan.

In 2005 the Energy Security Plan was adopted by the government, which called for a huge increase in generating capacity to more than 160 GWe by 2030. Significant power shortages are reported, and load shedding is common.

Nuclear policy

An expansion of nuclear capacity has long been a central element of Pakistan's energy policy.

The 2005 Energy Security Plan included the intention of lifting nuclear capacity to 8800 MWe in the long term, 900 MWe of this by 2015 and a further 1500 MWe by 2020. Projections included four further Chinese reactors of 300 MWe each and seven of 1000 MWe, all PWR. There were tentative plans for China to build two 1000 MWe PWR units at Karachi as KANUPP 2&3, but China then in 2007 deferred development of its CNP-1000 type which would have been the only one of that size able to be exported. Pakistan then turned its attention to building smaller units with higher local content. However, in 2013 China revived its 1000 MWe designs with export intent, and made overtures to Pakistan for the ACP1000 design, which became Hualong One – see below.

In August 2011 it was reported that Pakistan aimed for 8000 MWe nuclear at ten sites by 2030. PAEC has apparently selected six new sites on the basis of Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) advice. These are the Qadirabad-Bulloki (QB) link canal near Qadirabad Headworks; Dera Ghazi Khan canal near Taunsa Barrage; Taunsa-Panjnad canal near Multan; Nara canal near Sukkur; Pat Feeder canal near Guddu; and Kabul River near Nowshera. Early in 2012 Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) said that four reactors were planned for the Taunsa-Panjnad canal near Multan in Punjab.

In January 2014 PAEC announced its intention to build five further 1100 MWe nuclear plants to meet anticipated electricity demand, and have 8.9 GWe of nuclear capacity online by 2030. "With more than 55 reactor-years of successful operating experience to its credit, the PAEC can confidently move from technology acquisition status to actually starting contributing sizable electrical energy to the system." PAEC was then quoted as saying that eight sites would be chosen for a further 32 units, four 1100 MWe units at each, so that nuclear power supplied one-quarter of the country’s electricity from 40 GWe of capacity. This evidently assumes a more than tenfold increase in electricity demand by a future date well beyond 2030.

PAEC said an initial 1100 MWe plant would be built at Muzaffargarh, on the Taunsa-Panjnad canal near Multan in southwest Punjab. It was also reported that discussions with China were under way to supply three nuclear power units for about $13 billion.



http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-o-s/pakistan.aspx

 

[ghazi]

Nuclear facilities

Reactors operating in Pakistan

Reactor Province Type MWe net Construction start Commercial operation Planned close

Karachi 1 Sindh PHWR 125.............. 125 1966 December 1972 2019
Chashma 1 Punjab CNP-300............. 300 1993 June 2000 2040
Chashma 2 Punjab CNP-300............. 300 2005 May 2011 2051
Chashma 3 Punjab CNP-300 .............315 May 2011 December 2016 2056
Chashma 4 Punjab CNP-300.............. 315 Dec 2011 September 2017 2057
Total (5) 1355

Karachi is also known as KANUPP; Chashma as CHASNUPP.

Enriched fuel for the PWRs is imported from China.

PAEC is responsible for all nuclear energy and research applications in the country. It has two divisions which are responsible for nuclear power programs: Nuclear Power Generation (NUPG) and Nuclear Power Projects (NUPP). The NUPG directorate oversees the operational units, and the NUPP directorate is concerned with the design and construction of planned units, and is closely aligned with the PNRA.

Karachi 1

PAEC's first nuclear power reactor is a small 100 MWe (90 MWe net) Canadian pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR) which started up in 1971 and which is under international safeguards – Karachi 1 (K1/KANUPP 1) at Paradise Point in Sindh province, about 25 km west of Karachi. It is operated at reduced power, and is under review by PAEC because of its age.

At Karachi (KANUPP) a 4800 m3/day MED desalination plant was commissioned in 2012, though in 2014 it was reported as 1600 m3/day.

Chashma 1-4

The second unit is Chashma 1 (CHASNUPP 1) in Punjab province in the north, a 325 MWe (300 MWe net) two-loop pressurised water reactor (PWR) supplied by CNNC under safeguards. The main part of the plant was designed by Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute (SNERDI), based on Qinshan 1. It started up in May 2000. Design lifetime is 40 years. It, and the following three units at the same site, were built using international design codes and standards.

Construction of its twin, Chashma 2 (CHASNUPP 2), started in December 2005. It was reported to cost PKR 51.46 billion ($ 490 million, with $20 million of this financed by China). A safeguards agreement with the IAEA was signed in 2006 and grid connection was in March 2011, with commercial operation in May. Upgrades have added 5 MWe since (to 330 MWe gross).

In June 2008 the government announced plans to build units 3&4 at Chashma, each 320 MWe gross and largely financed by China. A further agreement for China's help with the project was signed in October 2008, and given prominence as a counter to the US-India agreement shortly preceding it.

In March 2009 China's SNERDI announced that it was proceeding with design of Chashma 3&4, with China Zhongyuan Engineering Co. Ltd (CZEC) as the general contractor and China Nuclear Industry No.5 Construction Company as installer. In April 2009, a design contract with SNERDI was signed, and the government said that it had approved the project at a cost of $2.37 billion, with $1.75 billion of this involving "a foreign exchange component". In March 2010 Pakistan announced that it had agreed the terms for Chashma 3&4, whereby China would provide 82% of the total $1.912 billion financing as three 20-year low-interest loans. It would also provide fuel for the reactors’ lifetime nominally of 40 years.

The main construction contract was signed in June 2010, detailing that the two 340 MWe CNP-300 (315 MWe net) units were to be completed in eight years. They will have a design lifetime of 40 years and be under IAEA safeguards. Construction of unit 3 officially started at the end of May 2011, and unit 4 in December 2011. Early in 2014 PAEC said they were several months ahead of schedule. In 2015 CZEC said completion of unit 3 would be in 2016, and in fact it was grid-connected in October, with full power and commercial operation in December. Unit 4 started up in March 2017 and was grid-connected late in June 2017.

The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) has raised some questions about China's supply of Chasma 3&4. Contracts for units 1&2 were signed in 1990 and 2000 respectively, before 2004 when China joined the NSG, which maintains an embargo on sales of nuclear equipment to Pakistan. China argued that units 3&4 are similarly 'grandfathered', and arrangements are consistent with those for units 1&2.

In inaugurating the Chashma 4 unit, the prime minister said the government "is committed to achieve [its] goal of adding 8800 MWe of nuclear energy to the national grid by 2030," a total of 2322 MWe being now under construction.

Reactors under construction in Pakistan

Reactor Province Type MWe gross Construction start Planned commercial operation

Karachi 2................... Sindh Hualong One/ACP1000........ 1161 Aug 2015 late 2021
Karachi 3................... Sindh Hualong One/ACP1000........ 1161 May 2016 late 2022

Total (2) 2322

Karachi is also known as KANUPP.

Karachi 2&3

In June 2013 the Planning Commission said that two CNNC 1000 MWe class reactors would be used for Karachi 2 and 3 (KANUPP 2&3) near Karachi unit 1. Two coastal sites had been under consideration for the twin 1100 MWe units. CNNC in April 2013 announced an export agreement for the ACP1000, nominally 1100 MWe, apparently for Pakistan. This was confirmed in June by the PAEC which said that the next nuclear project would be 1100 MWe class units at the Karachi Coastal power station.

In July 2013 ECNEC approved two units of the Karachi Costal power project with net generation capacity of 2117 MWe. The total cost of this was estimated at PKR 959 billion ($9.116 billion), with $6.5 billion (68%) being vendor finance. PAEC also said that 82% of the total cost would be financed by China. At the end of August 2013 contracts were signed in Shanghai with CNNC, CZEC, China Nuclear Power Engineering Co. Ltd. (CNPE), Nuclear Power Institute of China (NPIC), and East China Electric Power Designing Institute (ECEPDI). Groundbreaking at the site near Paradise Point, 25 km west of Karachi, took place in November 2013, but in October 2014 the Sindh high court ruling stopped site work following a challenge on environmental grounds, and the restraining order was extended to early December. The project was re-launched in August 2015, and construction of the first unit started then.

The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority received the safety analysis of China’s ACP1000 reactor from CNNC and after completing the review granted a construction licence, for the CNNC version of Hualong One, 1161 MWe gross.

In April 2015 China Nuclear Engineering & Construction Group Co (CNEC) won the tender for civil engineering construction and installation work for the conventional island of the plant, which it said would use Hualong One reactors. Construction of the first unit started in August 2015 and is expected to take 72 months (52 months for the conventional island). Construction of the second unit started at the end of May 2016, according to the IAEA, but without any announcement or notification on the PAEC website. In July 2017 the reactor vessel for unit 2 completed pressure tests at China First Heavy Machinery Group's factory in China, and in September it was installed.

A press report in January 2017 said that work on both units was intensifying to meet the operational target, and that it was a CPEC project. In March 2017 the IAEA approved Pakistan’s request to apply international safeguards to both units.

In light of its inability to buy uranium on the open market, PAEC says that Pakistan has agreed with CNNC to provide lifetime fuel supply for the reactors, specified as 60 years.

Chashma 5

In November 2010 the PAEC is reported to have signed a construction agreement with CNNC for a fifth unit at Chashma. In February 2013 a further agreement was signed by PAEC with CNNC for a 1000 MWe unit at Chashma. It was reported that China expected that this deal would be controversial under the NPT and guidelines of the NSG. Early in 2013 CNNC confirmed its intention to build a 1000 MWe class reactor, and said it would be an ACP1000 unit, though not necessarily at Chashma. The status of any continuing plan for Chashma 5 is very uncertain, and it may have been displaced by plans for a plant near Multan in southwest Punjab. Certainly it has been overtaken by the Karachi Coastal power project.

Front end fuel cycle

The government set a target of producing 300 tonnes of uranium per year from 2015 to meet one-third of anticipated requirements, but this has not been realised. Low-grade ore is known in central Punjab at Bannu Basin and Suleman Range. In 2015 production was 45 tU.

In July 2017 CNNC signed a framework agreement with PAEC for technical cooperation in the exploration and development of uranium resources.

A small (15,000 SWU/yr) uranium centrifuge enrichment plant at Kahuta has been operated since 1984 and does not have any apparent civil use. It was expanded threefold in about 1991. A newer plant is reported to be at Gadwal. It is not under safeguards and it is not clear whether PAEC has any involvement with these plants.


http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-o-s/pakistan.aspx

 

[ghazi]

Enriched fuel for the PWRs is imported from China.

In 2006 PAEC announced that it was preparing to set up separate and purely civil conversion, enrichment and fuel fabrication plants as a new $1.2 billion Pakistan Nuclear Power Fuel Complex (PNPFC) for PWR-type reactors which would be under IAEA safeguards and managed separately from existing facilities. However, constraints imposed on Pakistan by the Nuclear Suppliers Group may mean that all civil nuclear development is tied to China, and there may be no point in proceeding with this project.

Waste management

The PAEC has responsibility for radioactive waste management. A Central Radioactive Waste Management Fund is proposed in a new policy. Waste management centres are proposed for Karachi and Chashma.

Used fuel is currently stored at each reactor in pools. Longer-term dry storage at each site is proposed. The question of future reprocessing remains open.

Research and development

The Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science & Technology (PINSTECH) at Rawalpindi near Islamabad is managed by the PAEC and is one of the largest science and technology research establishments in the country. It has conducted research into reprocessing used nuclear fuel, though today it claims to be focused on research in medicine, biology, materials and physics, including production of medical radioisotopes.

Pakistan has a 10 MW pool-type research reactor, PARR-1, of 1965 vintage, supplied by the USA under the Atoms for Peace program. It was converted to use low-enriched uranium fuel in 1991, and upgraded from 5 to 10 MW. PARR-2 is an indigenous 30 kW miniature neutron source reactor (MNSR) based on Chinese design and using high-enriched fuel operating since 1974. Both are located at the PINSTECH Laboratory, Nilore, near Islamabad. They are under IAEA safeguards. One of them produces some Mo-99 from HEU targets.

New Labs at PINSTECH in Rawalpindi is reported to be a reprocessing plant for weapons-grade plutonium production, and not under safeguards. It is run by PAEC and operational since 1981. This was apparently the culmination of a plutonium weapons program predating the Kahuta HEU weapons program, and replaced an unfinished much larger reprocessing plant (100 t/yr) being built at Chashma by France, but cancelled in 1978.

At Khushab, 200 km south of Islamabad, there are four heavy water reactors dedicated to production of weapons-grade plutonium, plus a heavy water plant. The first of these, a 50 MWt 'multipurpose' PHWR, started operating in 1998. Then a large heavy water reactor was bult there from about 2002, and appeared to be operational at the end of 2009. In 2006 building of a third reactor, similar to and adjacent to the second, started, with construction proceeding rapidly, and this appeared to be operational by the end of 2013. A similar, fourth reactor was then built a few hundred metres away, and appeared operational in January 2015. These seem to add up to a substantial plutonium production capacity. Khushab is reported to be making demands upon the country's limited uranium resources. A small heavy water plant is nearby. Reprocessing of military material is reported to take place at Chashma, 80 km west, and the original French reprocessing plant is apparently under renewed construction there, a couple of kilometres southwest of Chashma 1-4 power reactors.

The Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) at Kahuta in Punjab is described as a weapons engineering R&D institute and research laboratory, focused on producing high-enriched uranium using centrifuge technology originally stolen from Urenco by Dr Abdul Q Khan. Set up about 1976 as the Engineering Research Laboratories it was a key part of Pakistan's weapons program, supported by the Army Corps of Engineers in competition with the plutonium program being pursued by PAEC. It was renamed in honour of Dr Khan in 1981.

Regulatory framework

The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) is responsible for licensing and supervision, and regulates the safety and security of all civil nuclear materials and facilities. In respect to the Chashma reactors, and presumably also the Karachi Coastal power project, it works closely with China's National Nuclear Safety Administration. It was formed in 2001, superseding the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Board (set up by PAEC) and the Directorate of Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection.

Pakistan is party to the Convention on Nuclear Safety and two international conventions for early notification and assistance.

Non-proliferation

Pakistan is not party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) but does have its civil power reactors and two research reactors (PARR 1&2) under item-specific IAEA safeguards. An agreement for two further 340 MWe reactors – Chashma 3&4 – came into force in April 2011. In March 2017 the IAEA approved Pakistan’s request to apply international safeguards to both Karachi Coastal units, and the agreement on this came into force in May. Pakistan has refused calls for international inspections of its enrichment activities.

Pakistan's Kahuta project (incorporating Project-706) to produce a uranium bomb was launched in 1972, following a disastrous war with India. It was partly financed by Libya to 1979. In May 1974 India exploded a nuclear test close to the Pakistan border, galvanising Pakistani efforts. The project was disbanded in 1983 after a successful cold test of weapon components.

In May 1998 Pakistan exploded five atomic devices in Baluchistan. At least one was evidently made from enriched uranium, but the Chagai II test in Kharan desert used plutonium produced by New Labs.

Pakistan is reported to be the sole nation blocking agreement of the Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty (FMCT) in Geneva negotiations.

Through the activities of Dr Khan, a centrifuge plant and nuclear weapons designs were secretly supplied to Libya from the late 1990s to 2003 to help build a weapons program there. He also transferred centrifuge technology to North Korea in the 1990s, and to Iran. This is the main basis for the NSG refusing to ease nuclear trade sanctions for Pakistan, as it has for India. China is the only country to act in defiance of trade sanctions, and has deepened cooperation since the international US-led concessions to India in 2008. This is most obvious in 2013 agreements to build the twin-unit Karachi Coastal power plant and the CNNC contract with PAEC for lifetime fuel supply for this.

Addressing the 3rd Nuclear Security Summit at The Hague in March 2014, the prime minister said that Pakistan had been running a safe and secure nuclear program for over four decades with the expertise, manpower and infrastructure to produce civil nuclear energy. He called for Pakistan’s inclusion in all international export control regimes, especially the NSG. He pointed out that international treaties and forums would supplement Pakistan’s national actions to fortify nuclear security.

Domestically, he said that today the country’s nuclear security is supported by five pillars – a strong command and control system led by the National Command Authority (NCA); an integrated intelligence system; a rigorous regulatory regime; a comprehensive export control regime; and active international cooperation. The security regime covers physical protection, material control and accounting, border controls and radiological emergencies, he said.

Pakistan is a major recipient of technical cooperation from the IAEA, and is one of 35 members of the IAEA Board of Governors, though it remains outside the NPT.

http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-o-s/pakistan.aspx

 

[ghazi]

Chashma-5
Pakistan and China have signed a MOU for the development of the Chashma-5 Nuclear Power Plant worth $4.8 Billion.

The project is sought to construct a one-million-kilowatt-class nuclear power unit using HPR1000 technology at the South Asian nation’s Chashma Nuclear Power Plant.

Chashma-5 is the 7th Chinese reactor to be built under IAEA safeguards in Pakistan.

It reflects international confidence in Pakistan's responsible use & mastery of nuclear technology & Beijing's unwavering trust in Pakistan's future.

 

[ghazi]

ghaziLieutenant Colonel465 posts
Dec 07, 2023

The Chashma nuclear power plant​

Last month, Pakistan and China had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to build a new unit of the 1,200 MW Chashma-5 (C-5) nuclear power project.

In January, the development of C-5 — the fifth unit of the Chashma Nuclear Power Generating Station — had hit a snag because of the reported refusal by the Ministry of Finance to furnish a sovereign guarantee.

The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) has been running four nuclear power units based on Chinese technology near Mianwali district’s Chashma area.

With a nameplate capacity of 325MW each, C-1 and C-2 started operations in 2000 and 2011, respectively. C-3 and C-4 became operational in 2016 and 2017, respectively, and have a gross capacity of 340MW each.

Separately, the PAEC established Karachi Nuclear Power Plant Unit-2 and Unit-3 at Paradise Point, once a popular public beach on the outskirts of Karachi. Having a nameplate capacity of 1,100MW each, the K-2 and K-3 started generating electricity in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

The six nuclear plants have a combined installed capacity of 3,530MW, constituting a share of 8.1 per cent in the country’s total nameplate power-generating capacity.

 

[ghazi]

Karachi 2, Pakistan

Details
Reactor Type	Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR)
Model	ACP-1000
Owner	Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
Operator	Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission

Timeline
Construction Start	19 August 2015
First Criticality	1 March 2021
First Grid Connection	17 February 2021

Specification
Capacity Net	1014 MWe
Capacity Gross	1100 MWe
Capacity Thermal	3060 MWt
Design Net Capacity	1014 MWe

 

[ghazi]

Karachi Nuclear Power

• KANUPP is Pakistan's first nuclear power plant, inaugurated on November 28, 1972, with a total gross capacity of 137 MW.

• Chashma Nuclear Power Generating Station (CNPGS)
• CNPGS hosts four nuclear power plants. These plants are based on Chinese Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) technology. CNPGS Unit 1 (C-1) and Unit-2 (C-2) have a gross capacity of 325 MW each. C-1 started operation in 2000, while C-2 in 2011. CNPGS Unit 3 (C-3) and Unit-4 (C-4) both with gross capacity of 340 MW each started commercial operation in 2016 & 2017, respectively. All four nuclear plants at Chashma are under IAEA safeguards

• Karachi Nuclear Power Project Unit-2 (K-2) & Unit-3 (K-3)
• Construction of two nuclear power plants, K-2 and K-3 based on Chinese ACP1000 concept started in August 2015 and May 2016, close to the KANUPP site in the outskirts of Karachi city. ACP1000 is a state-of-the-art, 1100 MW, Gen-III design based on PWR. The units are scheduled to come online in 2020 and 2021. Both K-2 and K-3 are also under IAEA safeguard since March 2017.

 

[ghazi]

Dec 09, 2023
Nuclear Power Plants:
When a friend came to Pakistan’s rescue

By Magazine Desk

Pakistan has around 2350 MWe operating nuclear capacity and 1100 MWe is underconstruction; most of it was developed with Chinese help. Nuclear energy power generation contributes about 7 percent to Pakistan's power generation.

China-Pak cooperation on this front started in the 1980s with the Chashma project and continues to date with the recent K2 and K3 plants in Karachi.





Pakistan’s nuclear program started in the 1950s under the US Atoms for Peace program as part of its cold war containment strategy. Countries including Pakistan, Israel, India, and Iran, amongst others, were encouraged to use nuclear energy, not only because it was cheap but also more environmentally friendly and because the US wished to demonstrate its peaceful usage to the world.

Pakistan’s first nuclear reactor, 137 MWe KANUPP 1 (K1) plant, was built in 1965 in Karachi by General Electric Canada, a Canadian company that also provided it nuclear fuel and technical support. However, by the early 1970s, Pakistan found itself in a dire situation as its energy requirements increased exponentially.

In order to continue growing, it was in desperate need of a cheap and reliable method to generate power. The Chashma nuclear power plant [CHASNUPP] project located in central Punjab was a brainchild of PM Zulfikar Bhutto.

Planning and designing for it had started full throttle by 1973, by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission under its then-chairman Munir Ahmad Khan. Bhutto started negotiations with France over potential funding, which he secured.

However, India’s ironically named ‘Smiling Buddha’ nuclear explosions in 1974 created controversy over supplies of commercial nuclear plants, and by 1976 France started backtracking from its commitment to export the reprocessing plant to Pakistan.

Nuclear Power Plants Pakistan



Note... K -1 construction started in 1967.

China provided majority of financing as 20 year low interest loans. China will also provide fuel for reactors lifetime for these projects. All the information comes from public sources.

Under pressure from the French, Bhutto agreed to sign the safeguard agreement that brought the plant under the International Atomic Energy Agency’s supervision. Despite this, by 1978, France halted its funding for the Chashma project and reneged on its contract.

By 1976, the Canadians also stopped providing nuclear fuel and technical support to Karachi’s K1 plant, under US pressure, after Pakistan refused to sign the 1970 Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT). This later became a blessing in disguise as the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission upped its game, researched and developed local indigenous fuel and parts.

Later on, Pakistan and China signed an agreement on the peaceful usage of commercial nuclear power technology, which help to initiate the cooperation on Chashma reactor with China National Nuclear Corporation in early 1990s.

An agreement was reached in late 1989 with China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) for the supply of the Chashma reactor, with the final contract signed in Beijing on 31 December 1991. In 2000, the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant became operational when it joined the nation’s grid system, with CNNC overseeing the grid connections of the power plant.

In 2004, CNNC was awarded the contract for building a second unit based on the first reactor, followed by contracting for two more reactors in 2011. In March 2013, Pakistan and China agreed to construct a fifth unit at the Chashma nuclear power plant site, eventually signing an agreement on 27 November 2017.

Recently, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) is also helping to build the Kanupp-2 and Kanupp-3 plants in Karachi, which will have around 1100 MWe each. The construction of the K2 and K3 reactor units started in August 2015 and May 2016, with the start of commercial operations scheduled for 2021 and 2022, respectively.

These reactors are expected to have a design life of 60 years and will account for around 10% of the country’s total generation capacity. Almost 80 percent of the project cost is being covered as a loan from China’s Exim bank.

 

[ghazi]

Pakistan’s first nuclear power plant (using Canadian technology)

Pakistan’s first nuclear power plant (using Canadian technology) was set up in Karachi in 1971, with the capacity to produce 137 MW. It was, for three decades, the only nuclear power plant in the country. Although efforts were made in the seventies and eighties to import more and improved nuclear technology-based power plants, they did not bear fruit.

Weapon grade nuclear fuels and those used in power generation can be used interchangeably, hence the West’s reluctance to provide the technology to countries outside their own sphere. The nineties were a time when China was gaining expertise in making nuclear-based power plants and the prospects increased for Pakistan to benefit from Chinese technology.

The first Chinese plant with an installed capacity of 325 MW was completed in 2000 in Chashma, Mianwali District, and ever since, China has been Pakistan’s only source for nuclear power plants. By 2017, four units of 325 MW each were in operation in Chashma, with a total capacity of 1,430 MW. (For nuclear power plants to be built economically and based on technical considerations, a 325 MW plant was no longer considered to be an optimum size.) In 2021 and 2022, two new plants with a capacity of 1,140 MW each were commissioned near Karachi, taking the total nuclear-generating capacity to 3,430 MW.

According to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), three more plants will be commissioned by 2026, increasing the total nuclear power capacity to 6,830 MW. According to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), the total share of nuclear power has increased from 10.9% (February 2021) to 12.5% (February 2022).

Nuclear-based power plants are expensive to build – in fact, the capital expenditure needed is an order of magnitude higher than required by other technologies.

Roughly speaking, a typical nuclear plant needs five million dollars per megawatt to build, whereas gas-based combined cycle plants require one million dollars per megawatt and coal-based plants require two million dollars per megawatt (hydropower plants involve lesser capital costs relative to nuclear, they are still expensive to build). Although not a typical case, the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Plant (HPP) was built at a cost in excess of five million dollars per megawatt.

The advantage of building HPPs compared to nuclear plants is that a large portion of the former’s cost is incurred in local currency. Nevertheless, nuclear plants are extremely reliable as they can typically operate at more than a 90% capacity factor – tens of percentage points more than any other technology.

Apart from their reliability, the cost of operating nuclear plants is very low as nuclear fuel has a long life and can be processed for reuse. On the other hand, fossil fuel-based plants have lower capacity factors and higher operational costs and rely on imported fuels that are subject to price fluctuations.

The question then is, if nuclear plants are so attractive, both technically and financially, why are we not building more? Firstly, because of their high capital cost (mainly in foreign currency) – and recent reports suggest that the PAEC is facing difficulties in repaying loans. Secondly, they take a long time to build (six to eight years.) Thirdly, Pakistan’s national power considerations require a mix of technologies and face several constraints in terms of where the power generation centres are located. Fourthly, developed countries are haunted by safety fears, especially in the aftermath of the Fukushima tragedy in 2011.

Added to these factors is the fact that renewable-based energy solutions, mainly solar and wind, have become more financially attractive. It is pertinent to mention here that the massive increase in LNG and imported coal in the last two years has seriously jeopardised the operation of thermal plants, whereas nuclear plants have continued to operate without interruption. In fact, one dreads the horrible scenario of power shortages, were it not for the 3,400 MW of sustained power output that is added to the system by the nuclear plants in Chashma and Karachi.

Furthermore, nuclear plants have no greenhouse gas emissions, which makes them the cleanest form of power generation. Moving forward, while developing renewable energy is important, when it comes to thermal plants, more attention should be paid to nuclear rather than imported coal or LNG as it will ensure the security of supply.

Farrukh Mahmood Mian is former Group Director, Energy, Islamic Development Bank, and currently works as a consultant on sustainable energy-related matters.
farrukhmian5@gmail.com

 

[ghazi]

Pakistan’s peaceful nuclear programme​

Two nuclear power plants at Karachi, two at Muzaffargarh and one power plant at Chashma are planned in near future

Dr Talat Shabbir |
October 10, 2020

Spanning over decades, Pakistan’s peaceful nuclear programme became a great success story though it has been subjected to a politically motivated narrative all along. The peaceful application of nuclear energy relates to power generation, agriculture, health, mineral exploration, industry and of course is vital for socio-economic uplift of any country.

In addition, the nuclear power projects provide employment opportunities to thousands of individuals and contributing towards socio-economic development of adjoining communities with provision of healthcare and education facilities.

Pakistan started its civilian nuclear power programme in the early 70s with the construction of a 137 MW nuclear power plant in Karachi. Commonly referred to as KANUPP, the plant ranks amongst the pioneers of nuclear power technology in the developing world. T

he journey that started with KANUPP continued with the addition of four nuclear power plants at the Chashma site that operate high capacity factors and provide electricity to the national grid as one of the most economical and reliable sources of power generation. Two nuclear power plants at Karachi, two at Muzaffargarh and one power plant at Chashma are planned in the very near future.

Needless to mention the hard work and dedication of Pakistani scientists and engineers deserve commendation for reasons that most plants operate after completing their design life with perfect safety. That is not only reflective of solid foundations of a strong and viable nuclear power programme of Pakistan, but also speaks volumes of skill and commitment of the Pakistani work force assigned the onerous task of maintaining the plants.

Nuclear power is a reliable source of energy as it is not sensitive to seasonal variations and plants are characterised as base-load because they have higher capacity factors and can run uninterrupted for years using fuel stored at the site. The nuclear power plants at Chashma are the best performing power stations in the country supplying economical and reliable energy of about 1335 MW to the national grid. These plants are operating at a capacity factor of above 80% which is a great feat given the sensitivity of the nuclear power infrastructure.

Besides being reliable, nuclear power is a cheap source of energy. For instance, the average electricity tariff of the Chashma units is amongst the lowest when compared with fossil fuel plants. It is also a clean source of energy, because nuclear power plants do not emit harmful pollutants, i.e. no greenhouse gases which are largely responsible for climate change.

A 1000 MW coal, oil and gas fired power plant annually emits, on average, six, five and three million tons of CO2, respectively, whereas a nuclear power plant of similar capacity shall have zero emission count. It is also pertinent to mention that one kilogram of uranium provides huge energy (100,000 KW) as compared to brown coal, hard coal, oil, and gas which provides 1, 3, 4, 5 KW, respectively.

Since the past several decades, the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) has been able to maintain an enviable safety record. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has on more than one occasions expressed satisfaction over Pakistan’s nuclear security regime.

The international agency works closely with relevant institutions in Pakistan on safe, reliable and sustainable operations of the power plants. There are well-documented emergency plans drawn up in collaboration with national and provincial bodies to deal with any eventuality for all the facilities across Pakistan.

For Pakistan, China not only appreciated Pakistan’s requirement for a peaceful nuclear programme but has also rendered cooperation all along in developing the nuclear power programme. And the plants at Chashma and Karachi site are shining examples of China’s continued support.

Pakistan and China should continue to work closely not only in the peaceful nuclear domain but also in other fields of emerging technologies. That is the road to a win-win prosperous future.

Pakistan’s peaceful nuclear programme ​

Two nuclear power plants at Karachi, two at Muzaffargarh and one power plant at Chashma are planned in near future

tribune.com.pk

 

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The Pakistan-China nuclear cooperation is successfully touching new heights as both nations had jointly constructed six nuclear power plants in the past three decades ..

PAEC had struck a deal with Chinese Nuclear energy firm China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) for the construction of four additional Hualong one Pressurized Nuclear Reactors commonly known as HPR-10000 in August 2021.

According to reports, the Chinese firm will construct two Hualong one nuclear reactors in Karachi (K-4 and K-5), and two similar reactors will be constructed at Muzaffargarh (M-1 and M-2) in the coming years.

 

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China and Pakistan had laid the foundations of a substantial and long-term cooperation that would strengthen the Pakistan Nuclear Energy industry through the construction of additional nuclear plants, aiding uranium exploration, nuclear waste management, nuclear fuel, and nuclear technology application.

Presently, Pakistan is in negotiation with the IAEA for the provision of IAEA’s nuclear safeguards for its nuclear power plants which would further pave the path for Pakistan- IAEA cooperation in the future. Pakistan has attained significant expertise in nuclear technology hence it should initiate dialogue with NSG for nuclear cooperation that could lead to its unhindered access to the latest nuclear technologies in the future.

 

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Reactors operating in Pakistan

Reactor Name	Alternative Name	Model	Reactor Type	Net Capacity (MWe)	Construction Start	First Grid Connection
CHASNUPP-1	Chashma Nuclear Power Plant 1	CNP-300	PWR	300	1993-08	2000-06
CHASNUPP-2	Chashma Nuclear Power Plant 2	CNP-300	PWR	300	2005-12	2011-03
Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3	Chashma Nuclear Power Plant 3	CNP-300	PWR	315	2011-05	2016-10
Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit 4	Chashma Nuclear Power Plant 4	CNP-300	PWR	313	2011-12	2017-06
K-2	Karachi 2	HPR1000	PWR	1,014	2015-08	2021-03
K-3	Karachi 3	HPR1000	PWR	1,014	2016-05	2022-03

 

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Nuclear Power in Pakistan​

(Updated July 2023)

• Pakistan has six operable reactors supplied by China.
• Pakistan's nuclear weapons capabilities have arisen independently of its civil nuclear fuel cycle, using indigenous uranium.
• Because Pakistan is outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, due to its weapons programme, it is largely excluded from trade in nuclear plant or materials, which hinders its development of civil nuclear energy. However, China is positive about nuclear cooperation with Pakistan, and a 2018 International Atomic Energy Agency programme further supports civil nuclear power.

Operable Reactors​

6
3,262 MWe

Reactors Under Construction​

0
0 MWe

Reactors Shutdown​

1
90 MWe

Operable nuclear power capacity​

 

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Electricity sector​

Total generation (in 2020): 133 TWh

Generation mix: natural gas 44.3 TWh (33%); hydro 34.0 TWh (26%); coal 25.7 TWh (19%); oil 13.1 TWh (10%); nuclear 11.5 TWh (9%); wind 2.9 TWh (2%); solar 0.7 TWh; biofuels & waste 0.9 TWh.

Import/export balance: 0.5 TWh imports, no exports

Total consumption: 108 TWh

Per capita consumption: c. 500 kWh/yr

 

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