Pakistan will build another Chinese-designed nuclear power unit

The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) has issued a construction permit to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) for Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit No. 5 (C-5), on December 26. The Pakistan Atomic Energy Authority applied for the construction permit in April this year, along with a Preliminary Safety Assessment Report (PSAR) and other license offers covering design and operational aspects of nuclear safety, radiation protection, emergency preparedness, waste management, and nuclear security. . The National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said it issued the license “after a comprehensive review and evaluation of license applications and fulfillment of all regulatory requirements in accordance with relevant national and international standards.” The C-5 will be an advanced third-generation pressurized water reactor (PWR) of Chinese design, Hualong One (HPR1000). The unit will have active and passive safety features including a double-jacketed containment system and a filtered reactor ventilation system. It will have a design life of up to 60 years. The C-5 will be the third HPR1000 unit to be built in Pakistan. The other two HPR1000 units – K-2 and K-3 – have been installed at the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant. The K-2 entered commercial operation in May 2021 and was followed by the K-3 in April 2022. However, the C-5 will have a greater capacity than previous versions – 1,200 MW versus 1,100 MW – making it the largest electricity-producing nuclear power unit in Pakistan. In addition to the Karachi units, there are two HPR1000 units as well Operated in China in Fuqing factory In Fujian Province. Commercial operation of these reactors, Units 5 and 6 at the site, began in January 2021 and March 2022, respectively. In late November, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), one of the manufacturers of the HPR1000 reactor, announced that the first unit of the Changzhou Nuclear Power Plant in China’s Fujian Province had been connected to the grid. The unit is the first of four HPR1000 reactors under construction at that site. Meanwhile, China General Nuclear (CGN) is also introducing the Hualong One design. I have It has commissioned two of its units at the Guangxi Fangchenggang Nuclear Power Plant In western China. According to what was reported by CNN. At least 33 Hualong One units Currently in operation or under construction, making it the dominant third-generation nuclear power technology being deployed in the world. In Pakistan, the C-5 will join four CNP-300 units (another Chinese design with a capacity of about 300 MW), which are currently operating at the Chashma facility. These units – C-1 to C-4 – entered commercial operation in 2000, 2011, 2016 and 2017, respectively. According to the International Energy Agency, natural gas is Pakistan’s largest source of electricity generation, providing more than 27% of supply in 2022. Hydropower ranked second at 20%, while oil, coal and nuclear power ranked in this percentage. percentage points apart from each other by 16.6%, 15.9%, and 15.6%, respectively. It is worth noting that the International Energy Agency says that more than 40 million people in Pakistan are still without electricity. —Aaron Larson He is the executive editor of POWER (@Energy Magazine).