Nuclear power plants: ‘Production to be raised to 40,000MW by 2050’

One nuclear plant to be constructed yearly under Nuclear Power Vision.

KARACHI: The overall production of nuclear power plants will be raised to 40,000MW by 2050 by setting up numerous nuclear power plants across the country, said Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) Chairman Dr Ansar Pervaiz.

He said Karachi Nuclear Power Plant, Chashma Nuclear Power Unit-1 and Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit-2 have been producing a total of 755MW of nuclear power. This capacity will be raised to 3,535MW by 2021, upon completion of the under construction C-3, C-4, K-2 and K-3 projects.

Highlighting the long-term strategy devised under the Nuclear Power Vision to overcome the energy crisis, he said that after 2021, PAEC will be focusing on commencing construction work on at least one nuclear power plant project every year in order to achieve the desired targets.

With the construction of K-2 and K-3 projects, 10,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities will be created, whereas the annual financial impact is estimated to be Rs10 billion upon completion of this project by 2021, he said.

Dr Pervaiz informed that K-2 and K-3 projects were based on Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) concept and a total of 279 PWRs are operating around the world including two in Pakistan. Many safety features have been added to meet the enhanced safety targets of the new generation (Gen III) of reactors.

“Pakistan needs to build more nuclear power plants to overcome severe energy shortfall as the electricity demand has been increasing at a much higher rate compared to the economic growth,” he said.

Highlighting the overall global scenario of nuclear power production, PAEC chief said, “With the construction of 25 nuclear power plants under way, China has taken the lead. Russia follows with nine nuclear power plants, India with six, United States with five and Pakistan with four.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20^th, 2015.

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