ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) has announced that fuelloading at 1100-megawatt power project of Karachi Nuclear Power Plant(KANUPP)-2 has begun on Tuesday.

A spokesman for the PAEC said that the atomic power project constructednear Karachi sea was loaded with fuel today after approval from PakistanNuclear Regulatory Authority.

Director General Strategic Plans Division (SPD) Lieutenant General NadeemZaki Manj, Chairman PAEC Muhammad Naeem, member power committee of the PAECand top officials of China was also present on the occasion.

The PAEC spokesman said that the KANUPP-2 is a pressurized water reactor,based on China’s HPR-1 technology of the third generation atomic powerplant.

He said that it is equipped with automatic protection systems. “Itsconstruction began in August 2015 and after an operational examination, itwill begin producing power from April 2021,” the spokesman said.

A similar nuclear power plant in Karachi, known as KANUPP-3 would startproducing electricity at the end of 2021. He said that despite COVID-19pandemic, the plants are in the final stages of completion.

It is pertinent to mention here that International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) in March 2017linkapprovedPakistan’s request for the application of Safeguards for nuclear powerplant units K-2 and K-3 in Karachi.

These power plants will serve as an important vehicle to help meetPakistan’s increasing energy needs and support sustained economic growthand industrial development.