Islamabad:
The Chashma-5 nuclear power plant under construction should contribute 1,200 megawatts (MW) of clean, safe and low cost to the national network.
The director general of the Chashma nuclear energy complex, engineer, engineer Habibur Rehman, made these comments during the information of a group of journalists at the Chashma nuclear complex.
Informing that the project progressed quickly, he said that Pakistan was working to improve its nuclear energy production capacity at 8,000 MW, aimed at making nuclear energy a reliable component of the country’s lasting and affordable energy mixture.
On this occasion, media representatives visited several operational units and under construction of the installation, where they were informed of the performance of the factory, safety protocols, technical systems and environmental standards.
Engineer Habibur Rehman noted that Pakistan was currently classified as the first 20 nuclear power countries worldwide, operating six nuclear reactors with a combined production capacity of 3,530 MW.
The figure should reach 4,730 MW after the completion of Chashma-5, he added.
He explained that the Chashma-5 project was based on the advanced Hualong One (HPR1000) design, a third-generation pressure water reactor.
The factory was under development in collaboration with Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) and the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). The first concrete of the project was paid on December 30, 2024.
Stressing global trends, he noted that nuclear energy found international attention.
Several developed countries, including the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom and South Korea, which had previously been reduced or planned to eliminate nuclear energy, were now re-engaged with the sector and actively built new nuclear power plants.
The director general said that nuclear energy offered a profitable, safe and environmental source of electricity. During the 2024 calendar year, nuclear energy represented approximately 13% of the total electricity supply of Pakistan. In December 2024 alone, his share culminated at around 26.5%.
