Thursday, 2 January 2025
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The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission applied to the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) for the construction licence in April, along with the Preliminary Safety Assessment Report and licensing submissions covering design and operational aspects of nuclear safety, radiation protection, emergency preparedness, waste management and nuclear security. “After a thorough review and assessment of the licensing submissions and on satisfactory fulfillment of all regulatory requirements in compliance with the relevant national and international standards, PNRA issued the licence” on 26 December, the regulator said. This cleared the way for construction of the unit – for which a ground-breaking ceremony was held in July 2023 – to officially begin.
The concrete-pouring ceremony held on 30 December at the site at Mianwali in Punjab was attended by Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, who said the ceremony marked a “milestone” which reflected the strength of Pakistan-China cooperation and reaffirmed the commitment of both nations to sustainable development and energy security. Nuclear energy already contributes a “significant share of the country’s clean and green electricity, reducing our reliance on imported fossil fuels and lowering energy costs,” he said. “Nuclear energy is not only cost effective, but also dependable”.
The ceremony was also attended by Director General of the Strategic Plans Division Yusuf Jamal, Ambassador of China to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong, and CNNC Vice President CNNC Zhang Kai.
“Commencement of construction of the most modern and the biggest, C-5 Nuclear Power Plant is another milestone in strategic cooperation between Pakistan and China. The plant will contribute 1200 MW electricity,” Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif said on X. “I congratulate PAEC and CNNC on this remarkable achievement.”
Pakistan has six operable nuclear reactors, all supplied by China: four CNP-300 pressurised water reactors at Chashma, which were connected to the grid between 2000 and 2017, and two Hualong One units at the Karachi nuclear power plant, connected to the grid in 2021 and 2022. Karachi unit 1, a 100 MWe Canadian pressurised heavy water reactor, operated from 1971 until 2021.
Chashma 5 will be the third Hualong One (HPR1000) reactor to be built in Pakistan. Karachi units 2 and 3 were the first exports of China National Nuclear Corporation’s design, which has active and passive safety features including a double-shell containment and reactor filtered venting system, and a 60-year design life. Chashma 5 will also be the largest electricity-producing nuclear power plant in Pakistan with a capacity of 1200 MWe, the PNRA said.
Pakistan signed a USD4.8 billion deal with China for construction of the new unit in June 2023.
