Amber Afreen Abid
The odyssey of Pakistan’s nuclear technology started with the acquaintanceof the “Atoms for Peace” program in 1953. Pakistan became one of the earlybeneficiaries of the program and sent many scientists and experts fortraining purposes, to get familiar with the aspects of nuclear technologyand its use in the peaceful realm. Withering the challenges, Pakistan’speaceful nuclear program is a great success story, encompassing decades ofdedication, commitment, and integrated efforts of Pakistan’s polity.
Nuclear energy is being used by many states around the world for overcomingenergy challenges. It provides a cheaper, reliable, and cleaner source ofenergy, and is utilized by many states around the world. Pakistan hasrealized the true potential of the appliance of peaceful aspects of nuclearenergy in numerous domains, including health, medicine, agriculture, theenvironment, and electricity generation. Pakistan has a long experience ofutilizing the potential of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and iscomplementing the energy mix of the country. The energy mix of the countrycomprises natural gas, coal, hydropower, and nuclear power, respectively.Nuclear energy provides a clean and reliable option, thus Pakistan isincreasing its reliance on such cleaner alternatives.
In 1956, the legal framework for the development of nuclear technology gotthe track with the initiation of the Atomic Energy Research council, whichlater came to be known as the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC). Thefirst and foremost development in the nuclear arena of Pakistan was theformation of a pool-type research reactor, with the help of the US in 1963,at Pakistan Institute of Science and Technology (PINSTECH), which was underIAEA Safeguards as well. Pakistan also established Pakistan NuclearRegulatory Authority (PNRA) back in 2001 to further adhere to theinternational practices of nuclear safety and security. It also provides aregulatory and firm structure to Pakistan’s nuclear program. It has takenthe guidelines from IAEA and is responsible for ensuring the safety andsecurity of Pakistan’s nuclear infrastructure.
Pakistan’s marvel in the peaceful application of nuclear technology isrecognized at the international level as well, as its nuclear power plantsand research reactors are all under IAEA Safeguards. Pakistan has a recordof cooperation with IAEA of over fifty years, and consistently sharesinformation with IAEA regarding the crucial activities of the specifiedplants, and is time and again inspected by IAEA in order to ensure thesecurity and safety of nuclear and radioactive material and to make surethey are well disposed of.
In the peaceful nuclear domain, a formal agreement was signed betweenPakistan and Canada to set up Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP) in 1962,which started commercial operation in 1972, and is under IAEA. It has ageneration capacity of 137MW. In 1986, an agreement was signed with thePeople’s Republic of China for the construction of Nuclear Power Plants,which ultimately led to the construction of Unit-I of Chashma Nuclear PowerGenerating Station (CNPGS) Chashma-I in 1993, which became operational in1993. It was followed by the further four operational units, Chashma- II,Chashma-III, and Chashma-IV respectively. All four plants are under IAEASafeguards.
On May 21, 2021, Prime Minister Imran Khan formally inaugurated thecommercial operation of linked Unit 2 of Karachi Nuclear Power Plant(KANUPP-II) also known as K-2. The plant was linked to the national grid ofthe country very recently in March 2021. This would be utilized forcommercial purposes and will generate electricity of 1,100 MWe. The projecthas also undergone various safety and security tests before being finallyadded to the national grid. KANUPP-II has been under IAEA Safeguards since2017.
In addition to this, the third Unit of Karachi Nuclear Power Plant(KANUPP-III) with a generation capacity of 1100 MWe is also in the finalstage. It is expected to be added to the national grid by 2022. Pakistanalso intends to construct the fifth Unit of the Chashma Nuclear plant andhas planned two more nuclear plants at Muzaffargarh. Pakistan aims togenerate 8800 MWe by 2030, which will account for 20% of the total energymix. Moreover, under the vision 2050, Pakistan has a plan to build 32Nuclear power plants, which will produce approx. 40,000 MWe. This willultimately comprise one-fourth of the energy mix of the country.
In an effort to quench the economic woes and energy crisis, it isimperative for Pakistan to continue working on the peaceful application ofnuclear technology. The clean history of the utilization of nuclear energyis an indication of Pakistan’s commitment towards the utilization ofnuclear power for peaceful purposes. Pakistan has proved itself to be aresponsible nuclear state and has an impeccable record of maintaining thesafety and security of its nuclear infrastructure. Pakistan is adistinguished member of the IAEA and has served in the board of governorstwenty-one times and chaired it twice, which shows the recognition ofcredentials of Pakistan as a responsible nuclear state. Pakistan givesutmost importance to the security of its nuclear infrastructure, and not asingle affair of theft of nuclear material has ever taken place.
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