STEPPING TOWARDS ending electricity load shedding another 340 MW nuclear energy is added in energy mix. 5th nuclear power plant, CHASHNUPP-IV (C-4), at Chashma holding capacity to generate 340 megawatts of electricity inaugurated by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony PM Abbasi express gratitude to China for technical and financial assistance to Pakistan and establishing the C-4 power plant, and two countries will collaborate in the energy sector among others as well.

“These power projects have not been possible without the cooperation of China and its people,” he said, requesting China to invest further in Pakistan’s energy sector.

“We are committed to end electricity load shedding, and by the end of this term will add 10,000MW to the national grid”. He said the C-4 is a step forward from the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) in achieving its target of adding 8,800MW to the national grid by the year 2030.

990MW electricity is provided by existing three units of Chashma. Unit C-1, C-2 and C-3 have successfully contributing to the national grid since 2000, 2011, 2016 respectively. C-4 added another 340MW and has been connected to national grid since 29 June, 2017.

Talking on the occasion, Chairman Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission Muhammad Naeem said, “In addition to the four units at Chashma, the work has been started on two 1,100MW plants at Karachi (KANUPP-II and III), where groundbreaking ceremony was held in November 2013”.

He mentioned that it was a matter of gratification that K-2 and K-3 power plants in Karachi were being completed at a faster pace, and would provide cost effective and clean energy.

Pakistan began its nuclear power generation program in 1972. PAEC has about 45 reactor-years of successful operating experience to its credit. Pakistan is targeting five more plants of 1,100MW each in next 10 years.

According to PAEC’s ‘Nuclear Energy Vision 2050’, units of 300MW would no longer be installed after this Chashma-IV. Pakistan and China also agreed to build another unit of ACP-1000 as CHASNUPP-5.

Pakistan’s current total nuclear power generation is 1,405MW which will be raised to 3,535MW by 2021 on completion of under construction K-2 and K-3 projects.

Pakistan’s all nuclear power plants except KANUPP-I, are based on the Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) concept. A total of 279 PWRs are already operating around the globe, which have several safety features for enhanced safety targets of Gen-III of reactors.

China is leading in construction of nuclear power plants with 25 plants are underway in China, followed by 9 in Russia, 6 in India, 5 in US and 2 in Pakistan.

The event was attended by Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali, PAEC Chairman Mohammad Naeem, Chinese Ambassador Sun We Dong, PAEC Member Power Yousaf Raza and representatives of the Chinese companies and senior officials.

There are 31 countries in the world operating more than 440 commercial nuclear power reactors, with over 390,000 MWe of total capacity. About 60 new reactors are under construction. These plants provide over 11% of world’s electricity without carbon dioxide emissions.