Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on July 14 launched the construction of a 1,200-megawatt Chinese-designed nuclear energy project.
Chashma nuclear power plant Unit 5
The unit 5 of the Chashma nuclear power plant is being built by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) at a cost of $3.5 billion as part of the government’s efforts to generate more clean energy in the country of nearly 240 million.
The plant, known as Chashma-5 or C-5, will feature China-manufactured third-generation pressurized water nuclear technology, the Hualong One or HPR1000, with advanced safety and foolproof security features.
China-Pakistan nuclear energy cooperation
Prime Minister Sharif and senior Chinese officials attended the event in the central city of Chashma, also known as the birthplace of China-Pakistan nuclear energy cooperation.
PM Sharif praised the support from China for the project and said the aim was to complete the unit within seven or eight years but “keeping in mind the country’s requirements of clean and cheap energy sources” he hoped the project would be completed sooner.
Over the past 30 years, Beijing has installed four nuclear power generation units in Chashma, collectively generating about 1,300 megawatts, with China providing enriched uranium for fuel.
“This mutual cooperation to promote clean, efficient, and comparatively cheaper energy is a gift of friendship between the two countries and a model for other countries to emulate,” Sharif said at the ceremony.
CNNC described the ground-breaking as a further “milestone” for the China-Pakistan partnership and said the project “will further enhance Pakistan’s energy security, promote economic development, and improve the well-being of the local people”.
Pakistan, which got its first nuclear power plant from Canada, generates only 8% of its electricity from nuclear power plants and plans to increase that figure to 20% by 2030.