The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) has issued a licence to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) to build unit 5 at the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant (C-5), which will be Pakistan’s largest nuclear plant with a capacity of 1,200 MWe. The cooperation agreement for C-5, a Hualong One (HPR1000) reactor, was signed with China in 2017. The groundbreaking ceremony for C-5 took place in July 2023. C-5 is expected to be completed in 7-8 years. The Chashma site at Mianwali in Punjab already hosts four operating Chinese-supplied CNP-300 pressurised water reactors (PWRs).
This is the third and largest Chinese designed Hualong One plant to be exported to Pakistan. China also constructed two 1,161 MWe Hualong One reactors as units 2 and 3 of the Karachi NPP. Construction of unit 2 began in 2015 and unit 3 in 2016. Both units were supplied and constructed by CNNC under a $9bn contract signed with PAEC in 2013. Karachi 2 was connected to the grid in 2021 and unit 3 began commercial operation in April 2022. Unit 2 was formally handed over to Pakistan in May – some three years after it began operation.
C-5 is an advanced third-generation PWR with active and passive safety features, including a double-shell containment and reactor-filtered venting system. It has a lifespan of 60 years. C-5 has already been approved by the executive committee of the National Economic Council and it will be built at a cost of $3.7bn.
PAEC applied for the licence in April of this year, along with the Preliminary Safety Assessment Report and other documents about the design and operational aspects of nuclear safety, radiation protection, emergency preparedness, waste management, and nuclear security. After a thorough review and assessment of and fulfilment of regulatory requirements in compliance with the relevant national and international standards, the licence was issued, the PNRA press release stated.
Following the issue of the licence first concrete was poured for C-5. The event was attended by Professor Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Chinese Ambassador, Jiang Zaidong and other Chinese and Pakistani dignitaries.
Addressing the ceremony Professor Iqbal said C-5 Project bears testimony to Pakistan-China friendship which will create thousands of jobs for the people of Pakistan during its execution and will provide clean electricity to the national grid at cheap rates. He praised the progress made by PAEC in use of nuclear technology for providing ideal baseload electricity to the energy mix in the form of nuclear power. He also noted PAEC’s immaculate safety record, bearing testimony to its commitment to global responsibilities with respect to nuclear safety, environmental protection and peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Pakistan’s installed nuclear energy capacity is about 3,530 MWe, contributing about 27% of the total electricity generation in the national grid.
