Chashma expansion: Country’s fifth nuclear power plant comes online

Abbasi claims power outages will be banished by year end

CHASHMA: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Friday inaugurated the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit-4 (C-4), hailing the operationalisation of Pakistan's fifth nuclear power plant as a step towards ending the electricity load-shedding by the end of this year.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, the prime minister reiterated the Pakistan Muslim League’s claim to complete the ongoing power projects by the June next year. “The government will fulfill the target, given by Nawaz Sharif to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC),” Abbasi said.

“Our government is committed to end electricity load-shedding and will add 10,000MW to the national grid by end of its term,” he told the audience. He said the C-4 is a step forward for the PAEC in achieving its target of adding 8,800MW to the national grid by the year 2020.

The C-4, with the capacity of 340MW, will be operational on trial basis and will pass through various functional and safety related tests at full power. Abbasi said the project has started injecting power into the national grid only after a period of eight months since the operationalisation of C-3, and termed it a matter of pride for the entire nation.

“The three power units of Chasma are providing 900MW of less expensive electricity. The power supply situation in the country today is much better than a few years back," he added.



Abbasi recalled that the government of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif entered into an agreement with China for the construction of Chashma's Unit One project, which laid the foundation of a strong Pakistan-China cooperation in civil nuclear power projects.

He said it was being ensured that all these projects fully complied with the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). “All future nuclear power plants are also being constructed under the same guidelines,” he added.

Abbasi said three nuclear power projects were already operational and were providing less expensive electricity. He pointed that it was a matter of satisfaction that K-2 and K-3 power plants in Karachi were being completed at a faster pace, and would provide less expensive and clean energy.

“Pakistan is proud to indigenously operate the plants under the Karachi Nuclear Power Project for four decades without any foreign assistance. The contributions of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission in power generation, health and agriculture are commendable,” the PM added.

He said Pakistan earned precious foreign exchange through cotton crop, while 18 cancer hospitals were providing quality healthcare to people. Abbasi also appreciated the cooperation of China in civil nuclear power generation projects and urged the Chinese companies to invest more in nuclear power projects.



"Our government has initiated large projects with China under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and its benefits are having a trickledown effect. “Progress is visible on projects of roads, Thar coal and Gwadar, while the GDP [growth] has risen to over 5 per cent and hoped it will be 6 per cent next year,” the Premier said.

The government, he said, is desirous of greater participation of the private sector in the CPEC projects. He said the Chinese government has also showed its keen interest in injecting more funds in various projects. Abbasi thanked the government of China, EXIM Bank of China and China Atomic Energy Commission for its support in making Pakistan self-sufficient in electricity.

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.

The Chashma nuclear power projects units, C-1, C-2 and C-3 have been successfully contributing to the national grid since 2000, 2011 and 2016 respectively. The three nuclear power plants of Chinese-origin are the best performing power stations in the country, supplying over 950MW to the national grid with availability factors of around 99 percent.

Currently, the country's four nuclear power plants KANUPP, C-1, C-2 and C-3 are operational and generating a total of 1,030MW of power whereas with the inauguration of C-4 Chashma plant, the power supply would be further enhanced.

Two large sized nuclear power plants, K-2 and K-3, are under construction near Karachi and are scheduled to be operational in 2020 and 2021 respectively. They will add another 2,200 MW to the national grid.