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Pakistan Ramps Up Nuclear Power to Boost Low-Carbon Electric Power
Construction of 1,100 MW nuclear power reactor K2 unit in Karachi has been completed by China National Nuclear Corporation, according to media reports. A similar reactor unit K3 will add another 1,100 MW of nuclear power to the grid, bringing the total nuclear power installed capacity of Pakistan to 3,630 MW (12% of total power) by 2022. Hualong One reactors being installed in Pakistan are based on improved Westinghouse AP1000 design which is far safer than Chernobyl and Fukushima plants. In addition, Pakistan is also generating 9,389 MW (about 28% of total power) of low-carbon hydroelectric power in response to rising concerns about climate change.
Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP):
With the placement of the outer containment shell, K2 is now ready for containment and heat tests. It is scheduled to begin operations in 2020. It’s built using the Chinese HPR1000 technology, which features a dual containment design, with the outer containment providing additional protection for the primary containment.
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| Karachi Nuclear Power Plant K2 Unit Under Construction. Source: CNNC |
KANUPP is Pakistan's first nuclear power plant where construction started in 1966 in Karachi. The plant was connected to the national grid on 18 October 1972. KANUPP, a pressurized heavy water reactor of 137 MW gross capacity was constructed by Canadian General Electric under a turnkey contract. In 1976, vendor support for spare parts and fuel was withdrawn. The PAEC undertook the task of indigenously manufacturing the required spare parts and nuclear fuel on an emergency basis and, since 1980, KANUPP has successfully operated using fuel manufactured by the PAEC, according to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Here is an except of IAEA's 2018 report on nuclear power in Pakistan:
"Despite the keen interest of Pakistan in building additional nuclear plants, it took more than two decades before the second nuclear power plant started construction. This delay was due to Pakistan’s lack of access to international nuclear technology coupled with a lack of indigenous industrial infrastructure. The construction of Pakistan’s second nuclear plant, C-1, a pressurized water reactor (PWR), was made possible in 1993 with the help of the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). The plant was connected to the national grid on 13 June 2000 and has a gross capacity of 325 MW. A third nuclear power plant, C-2, with 325 MW gross capacity started commercial operation on 18 May 2011. The fourth unit, C-3, started commercial operation on 6 December 2016. It has a gross capacity of 340 MW and a similar plant, C-4, sited beside C-3, was connected to the grid on 25 June 2017. The first concrete pours to mark the start of construction of Karachi Coastal Power Project, a project containing two nuclear units, K-2 and K-3 (1100 MW each), based on an improved PWR design, were 20 August 2015 and 31 May 2016, respectively."
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International Energy Agency:
International Energy Agency (IEA) has recently warned that "steep decline in nuclear power would threaten energy security and climate goals". "With nuclear power facing an uncertain future in many countries, the world risks a steep decline in its use in advanced economies that could result in billions of tonnes of additional carbon emissions", the IEA has said.
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| Pakistan Among 31 Countries Operating Nuclear Power Plants |
Nuclear is the second-largest low-carbon power source in the world today, accounting for 10% of global electricity generation. It is second only to hydropower at 16%, according to International Energy Agency (IEA). Pakistan nuclear plants are expected to generate 3,630 MW (12% of total power vs 10% global average) by 2022. Pakistan is also generating 9,389 MW (about 28% of total power vs 16% global average) of low-carbon hydroelectric power in response to rising concerns about climate change.
Nuclear Plant Safety Concerns:
Activists in Pakistan have raised serious concerns about potential risks from K2 and K3 plants to the population in Karachi. Are such concerns valid?
The worst nuclear disaster in the history of nuclear power generation was at Chernobyl in present day Ukraine. One of the key reasons was that the Chernobyl plant did not have the fortified containment structure common to most nuclear power plants elsewhere in the world. KANUPP K-2 and K-3 reactors have two containment shells: primary and secondary. It is noteworthy that Bhopal Union Carbide disaster was history's worst industrial disaster, far bigger in terms of human toll than the Chernobyl disaster.
China signed a technology transfer deal with the United States in 2006 that put the Westinghouse AP1000 reactor design at the “core” of its atomic energy program. Chinese reactor manufacturers also resolved to build advanced third-generation technology in their safety review after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear plant disaster.
Unlike Fukushima where underground emergency cooling system failed due to flooding, the Hualong One design stores water above the reactor that can be gravity-fed to keep it cool if the pumps fail in the event of meltdown. The Chinese HPR1000 reactors employ multiple redundant generators and cooling systems to lower meltdown risk.
Hydropower Generation:
The biggest and most important source of low-carbon energy in Pakistan is its hydroelectric power plants. Pakistan ranked third in the world by adding nearly 2,500 MW of hydropower in 2018, according to Hydropower Status Report 2019. China added the most capacity with the installation of 8,540 megawatts, followed by Brazil (3,866 MW), Pakistan (2,487 MW), Turkey (1,085 MW), Angola (668 MW), Tajikistan (605 MW), Ecuador (556 MW), India (535 MW), Norway (419 MW) and Canada (401 MW).
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| New Installed Hydroelectric Power Capacity in 2018. Source: Hydrowo... |
Pakistan's Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) says commissioning of the 108-MW Golen Gol 2, 1,410-MW Tarbela 4th Extension and 969-MW Neelum Jhelum hydropower projects in 2018 boosted its hydroelectric generating capacity of 9,389 MW, an increase of 36% in just one year, according to Hydro Review. Hydropower now makes up about 28% of the total installed capacity of 33,836 MW as of February, 2019. WAPDA reports contributing 25.63 billion units of hydroelectricity to the national grid during the year, “despite the fact that water flows in 2018 remained historically low.” This contribution “greatly helped the country in meeting electricity needs and lowering the electricity tariff for the consumers.”
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| Top 20 Countries by Newly Installed Hydropower Capacity. Source: IHA |
Pakistan has the potential to generate 59,000 MW of hydropower, according to studies conducted by the nation's Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA). Currently, it's generating only 9,389 MW of hydroelectric power, about 16% of the estimated potential. Media reports indicate that China is prepared to finance and build another 40,000MW capacity as part of the development of the Northern Indus Cascade region which begins in Skardu in Gilgit-Baltistan and runs through to Tarbela, the site of Pakistan’s biggest dam, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
Summary:
Construction of 1,100 MW nuclear power reactor K2 unit in Karachi has been completed by China National Nuclear Corporation, according to media reports. A similar reactor unit K3 will add another 1,100 MW of nuclear power to the grid, bringing the total nuclear power installed capacity of Pakistan to 3,630 MW (12% of total power) by 2022. Hualong One reactors being installed in Pakistan are based on improved Westinghouse AP1000 design which is far safer than Chernobyl and Fukushima plants. In addition, Pakistan is also generating 9,389 MW (about 28% of total power) of low-carbon hydroelectric power in response to rising concerns about climate change. One of the ways Pakistan can help reduce carbon emissions is by realizing its full nuclear and hydroelectric power potential by building more nuclear plants and dams. The development of the Northern Indus Cascade region to generate 40,000MW of hydropower is a significant part of this effort.
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Comment by Riaz Haq on March 27, 2021 at 8:10am
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Nuclear power plants produce no greenhouse gas emissions during operation, and over the course of its life-cycle, nuclear produces about the same amount of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions per unit of electricity as wind, and one-third of the emissions per unit of electricity when compared with solar.
https://www.world-nuclear.org/nuclear-essentials/how-can-nuclear-co...
Experts have concluded that in order to achieve the deep decarbonisation required to keep the average rise in global temperatures to below 1.5°C, combating climate change would be much harder, without an increased role for nuclear. Because nuclear power is reliable and can be deployed on a large scale, it can directly replace fossil fuel plant, avoiding the combustion of fossil fuels for electricity generation. The use of nuclear energy today avoids emissions roughly equivalent to removing one-third of all cars from the world’s roads.
Modern society is becoming more and more dependent on electricity, with demand steadily increasing as transport, domestic heating and industrial processes are increasingly electrified. Whilst electricity is clean at the point of use, its generation currently produces over 40% of all energy-related carbon emissions. Decarbonising the electricity supply, whilst providing affordable and reliable electricity to a growing global population, must be central to any climate change strategy.Nuclear energy has shown that it has the potential to be the catalyst for delivering sustainable energy transitions, long before climate change was on the agenda. France generates over 70% of its electricity from nuclear power – the largest nuclear share of any country globally – and its electricity sector emissions are one-sixth of the European average. In around 15 years, nuclear power went from playing a minor role in the French electricity system to producing the majority of its electricity, showing that nuclear energy can be expanded at the speed required to effectively combat climate change.
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Apparently irked over not being invited by longtime ally US to an upcoming meeting on the climate change crisis, Pakistan on Saturday said its commitment to addressing the simmering issue is “well accepted and appreciated around the world.”
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/pakistan-responds-to-us-clima...
US President Joe Biden has invited 40 world leaders to a two-day Leaders Summit on Climate “to galvanize efforts by the major economies to tackle the climate crisis,” the White House announced on Friday.
The virtual summit, which follows Washington’s return to the 2016 Paris agreement, is slated to be held on April 22 and April 23.
Responding to the US snub, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri issued a statement outlining Islamabad’s contributions to the global fight against climate change.
“Pakistan’s landmark initiatives like the Billion Tree Tsunami have won international acclaim, including from the World Economic Forum,” he said, referring to a nationwide tree plantation drive spearheaded by Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government.
“Pakistan is also meaningfully contributing to shape the global climate change discourse, inter alia, as the Vice President of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,” read the statement.
“Pakistan also co-chaired the multibillion-dollar Green Climate Fund, established to support climate actions in developing countries, last year.”
The summit, Chaudhri pointed out, would bring together “leaders from countries responsible for approximately 80 percent of global emissions and GDP.”
“Pakistan, despite being among the top ten countries affected by climate change, is one of the lowest emitters – with less than one percent of the global emissions,” he said.
“Climate change is one of the defining challenges of our times that can only be countered through inclusive, cooperative and forward-looking policies. Pakistan remains fully committed to play its due role in this fight.”
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#Karachi's 1,100 MW #nuclear power plant unit 2 inaugurated by #Pakistan PM. #ImranKhan said #environmental and #economic benefits from it will be "huge" in a country that is particularly vulnerable to #climatechange. #ClimateCrisis https://world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Karachi-unit-2-inaugurated-...
Karachi 2 joins the five nuclear power plants already operating under the management of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission.
Speaking from Islamabad by videolink in a ceremony that also marked the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China, Khan said the plant's 1100 MW of clean energy would "almost double" Pakistan's nuclear power generation.
Karachi unit 3 - which like unit 2 is also an 1100 MW Hualong One unit supplied by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) - is expected to generate electricity early next year, he said. The Karachi units are the first exports of the Hualong One, which is promoted on the international market as HPR1000.
"It is worth mentioning here that clean, reliable and affordable power generation will also bring economic benefits to the country," Khan said.
Construction of Karachi 2 began in 2015 and the unit achieved first criticality in February and was connected to the grid in March after the completion of commissioning tests. The plant's operational period is 60 years, which can be extended for another 20 years.
According to the Associated Press of Pakistan, China Atomic Energy Authority Chairman Zhang KeJian said the launch of Karachi 2 showed the commitment of both countries to the peaceful use of nuclear energy for the socioeconomic benefit of their people. CNNC Chairman China Yu Jian Feng said technology transfer and nuclear cooperation between China and Pakistan would "achieve new heights".
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Pakistan Nears Debt-for-Nature Swap Agreement With Creditors
By Greg Ritchie and Faseeh Mangi
May 24, 2021, 2:58 AM PDT Updated on May 24, 2021, 6:24 AM PDT
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-24/pakistan-nears-d...
Pakistan is closing in on a deal with bilateral creditors that would tie debt relief to the achievement of biodiversity goals, government officials said.
The South Asian nation is working with lender countries on a debt-for-nature swap program, which would see debt relief in return for binding commitments to achieve conservation targets. An official letter of intent could be announced as soon as World Environment Day on June 5, which Pakistan is hosting this year.
“Four to five creditors will commit to an intent to engage for a debt-for-nature swap,” Malik Amin Aslam, climate change adviser to Prime Minister Imran Khan, said in an interview.
The country is working with the U.K., Germany, Italy and Canada, though that’s yet to be finalized, according to Noor Ahmed, secretary at the government’s economic affairs division. Apart from Germany, those aren’t among Pakistan’s largest outstanding bilateral creditors, with that list topped by China, Japan and the United Arab Emirates, according to an International Monetary Fund report released last month.
Debt swaps have been around for decades, with the United Nations putting the value of debt-for-climate and nature agreements at over $2.6 billion from 1985 to 2015 -- though most of that was during the 1990s. There’s been a push to repopularize the structure as part of a broader campaign to realign finance with the protection of the natural world at the same time as reducing nations’ debt strain after the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier this year, Pakistan said it was developing a so-called nature-performance bond, a new instrument that would tie the cost of repayments to quantified biodiversity targets. That’s part of a plethora of recently-created debt types aimed at tapping surging investor interest in environmental, social and governance assets.
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Hydropower development initiative focuses on clean energy transition
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/855748-hydropower-development-init...
Pakistan is facing a huge challenge of preparedness in the face of climate change impacts and their rapidly emerging threats, said Special Adviser to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam.
Mr Aslam was speaking at the Clean Energy Transition Summit organised here by Sustainable Development Policy Institute.
Mr Aslam elaborated that Pakistan is on the development pathway and wants to maintain that momentum. He claimed that the 10 billion tree tsunami initiative generated jobs but was directly addressing the menace of climate change.
He said that currently the unprecedented heat-waves and alarming rate of melting glaciers in addition to the unexpected Monsoon season are posing threats at multiple levels.
He revealed that ecosystem restoration is a budgetary priority while hydro-development is a key focus of our government in addition to pushing for solar power plants as well as establishing wind corridors. He hoped that with local coal, we would move to coal to liquid or gas which is much cleaner and pushing for re-commitments to clean energy under the CPEC umbrella.
Shandana Gulzar Khan, chairperson, NA Committee on Food Security and Agriculture, said that we need to change the way of doing business and encourage a shift towards cleaner energy. We also need to evaluate the link between gender, clean energy, and COVID-19, she added.
Earlier, Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, executive director, SDPI, raised the question that we need to know how we can make renewable energy fit in the current narrative in a way that it could respond to fiscal restraints and meet the needs of the consumer. He said that the goal is for 60% of energy to come from clean resources by 2030.
Waqas bin Najib, Member Energy, MoPD&SI, informed the participants that our national energy policy has already been approved and renewable energy has a major role in the policy.
Danny Kennedy, CEO, New Energy Nexus, said that we chose renewable energy which has been a huge success for the state and Pakistan may get benefitted from this experience for its transition to clean energy.
Sheeraz Anwar Khan from ADB, was of the view that the energy sector in Pakistan has suffered due to poor strategies and with the increased share of renewable energy, the government is hoping to achieve a sustainable mix of it at affordable prices.
Farzana Altaf, DG, Pak-EPA, was of the view that hydropower is very familiar to us but our investments have to be focused to promote this source of energy.
Mohammad Faisal Sharif, the energy sector expert, explained that transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy is a huge commitment and we are also transitioning our grid from a single buyer to a multi-party system.
Hassan Daud Butt, CEO, KP BOI, said that cleaner energy is imperative but cheaper source of energy is also important and being abundant with indigenous sources.
Mustafa Haider Sayed, Executive Director, Pakistan China Institute, was of view that under CPEC, coal power plants have been the game changer for meeting Pakistan’s energy needs and have played a significant role in uplifting communities.
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Siemens Gamesa books 410 MW of turbine orders in Pakistan in FY 2019/2020
https://renewablesnow.com/news/siemens-gamesa-books-410-mw-of-turbi...
Gamesa Renewable Energy SA (BME:SGRE) has received 410 MW worth of wind turbine orders from Pakistan during its fiscal year to end-September.
Of the total, orders for 260 MW were booked in the final quarter of the 2019/2020 fiscal year, the turbine maker said.
The machines will be distributed between eight wind farm projects. Two of the projects are already under construction, with commissioning set to take place in November 2020 and February 2021.
The eight projects represent 205 of turbines from the 2.X platform, which Siemens Gamesa will supply, install and commission in partnership with an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor.
By the end of 2021, all eight wind farms will be fully operational. Once online, they will be capable of covering power consumption needs of up to 600,000 local households each year.
According to Siemens Gamesa, 40 million of people in Pakistan have no access to electricity. The government is committed to bring in modern renewables into the power mix, currently dominated by imported oil and natural gas.
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Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) is executing the biggest-ever portfolio of development projects in Pakistan including Diamer Basha Dam, Dasu Hydropower Project and Mohmand Dam worth $26 billion after a span of almost five decades by adopting an innovative financing strategy on the back of a robust capital structure and strong balance sheet footing.
https://nation.com.pk/11-Nov-2021/wapda-executing-projects-worth-do...
WAPDA Chairman Lt Gen Muzammil Hussain (retd) highlighted this in the meeting with a delegation of JP Morgan comprising senior representatives namely Asif Raza, Managing Director Global Corporate Bank CEEMEA, Imran Zaidi, Managing Director Global Corporate Bank covering Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Amin M Khawaja, Chief Executive Officer Pakistan. WAPDA Member (Finance) Naveed Asghar was also present on the occasion.
Giving a run-down of 10 under construction WAPDA projects, the chairman said that these projects would enhance water storage capacity by more than 11 MAF and add another 9,000 MW of hydel electricity to the system. WAPDA has unparalleled institutional capacity to identify and implement multipurpose hydropower projects. It has adopted a multi-pronged strategy including Green Eurobonds and Syndicate loans etc for implementation of its projects. This was a radical shift from entire reliance on the Government of Pakistan. WAPDA’s business model has an important role to play in the development of a sustainable and lower-carbon economy in Pakistan, he said. The chairman said that WAPDA would continue to approach the international financial and capital market in a staggered mode, to minimise financing cost, in line with its financing requirements and would look forward to bring further investments in the hydropower sector which would go a long way to reduce carbon footprint in the power generation sector of Pakistan. He appreciated the role played by JP Morgan as the lead arranger for WAPDA’s debut Green Eurobond issuance alongside Deutsche, Standard Chartered and HBL Bank.
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Fuel being loaded into #Pakistan's 1,100 MW #nuclear power plant K-3 in #Karachi to start generating #electricity by March 2022, brining nuclear to 10% of power in the country. Earlier, K-2 successfully started commercial operation on May 21, 2021. #energy https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/headlines/1867657-pakistan-loa...
akistan has completed the loading of fuel at its Chinese-assisted Karachi Nuclear Power Plant Unit-3 to celebrate three decades of cooperation with its “all-weather ally” China, according to a media report here on Saturday.
Pakistani authorities, after getting a formal permit from the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA), completed the fuel loading process of the second 1,100-megawatt nuclear power plant on Friday, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.
It said that the ceremony to mark “three decades of cooperation between China and Pakistan in the field of peaceful use of nuclear energy” as well as of the fuel loading of Karachi Nuclear Power Plant Unit-3, commonly known as K-3, was attended by top officials of nuclear energy related organisations from the two countries.
The report said that K-3 is in the final stages of commissioning and after operational and safety tests, the plant is expected to begin commercial operation by the end of March 2022.
A new era in the nuclear power development programme of Pakistan commenced with the signing of the 'Agreement for Cooperation in Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy' between the governments of China and Pakistan in 1986, according to the report.
However, the first concrete step in the remarkable journey was taken 30 years ago when China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) signed the contract for construction and installation of a 325-megawatt Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) at Chashma on December 31, 1991, it said.
The cooperation strengthened with the construction of three more nuclear power plants at Chashma Nuclear Power Generation Station (CNPGS) site.
The contract for the construction of two more units having a generation capacity of 1,100 megawatts each near Karachi was signed on February 18, 2013. These units are called Karachi Nuclear Power Plant Unit-2 and 3 (K-2 and K-3).
After the groundbreaking of K-2 and K-3 in November 2013, the construction of K-3 was formally started.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, both Pakistan and China faced all odds and continued the construction work. K-2 successfully started commercial operation on May 21, 2021, and now K-3 is expected to do so by the end of March 2022.
K-2 and K-3 are pressurised water reactors based on the Chinese ACP-1000 design and are generation-three plants equipped with advanced safety features.
With the connection of K-2 and K-3 into the national grid, the share of nuclear power in the energy mix of Pakistan will exceed 10 per cent, according to the report.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Pakistan power project using China’s Hualong One connected to grid - Global Times
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202203/1253974.shtml
The (1,100 MW) K-3 unit of the Karachi Nuclear Power Project in Pakistan, the fourth entity to use a China-designed third-generation nuclear reactor, was successfully connected to the grid on Friday, laying solid foundations for commercial operation.
All four of the units adopting China’s Hualong One nuclear reactor are now connected to the grid and are generating electricity, China National Nuclear Corp (CNNC) said in a statement on Friday.
Each Hualong One unit is expected to generate nearly 10 billion kWh of electricity annually after being completed, which can meet the annual electricity demand of more than 4 million households in Pakistan – equivalent to reducing use of standard coal by 3.12 million tons, and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 8.16 million tons every year. It is also the equivalent of planting more than 70 million trees, CNNC said.
It is of great significance for optimizing Pakistan's energy structure, as well as reaching carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals, CNNC added.
The success in construction and operation of the nuclear reactors in Pakistan will make the Hualong One technology better received in the global market, especially in countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, observers said.
The K-2 unit of the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant in Pakistan, which also uses Hualong One, officially started commercial operation on May 20 last year.
As China's "calling card" for its nuclear power industry, Hualong One has become one of the most widely recognized third-generation nuclear power reactors in the market.
All of Hualong One’s core components are produced domestically, and it has a design life of 60 years and meets the strictest safety standards in the world, according to a report from the Xinhua News Agency.
In May 2015, construction began on the world's first Hualong One demonstration project in Fuqing. On January 30, the world's first nuclear power unit under Hualong One, unit 5 of CNNC's Fuqing nuclear power plant, entered commercial operation.
With Hualong One online, China is now at the world forefront of third-generation nuclear technology, alongside countries like the US, France and Russia, the Xinhua News Agency reported, citing CNNC Chairman Yu Jianfeng.
The commercial use of Hualong One will also help to meet China’s goal for CO2 emissions to peak before 2030 and to achieve carbon neutrality before 2060, Yu added.
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#Karachi 3 (K3) #nuclear #power pant begins supplying #electricity. The 1100 MWe pressurized water reactor was connected to #Pakistan national grid on 4 March. Nuclear #energy currently provides around 8% of Pakistan's energy mix from 5 working reactors https://world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Karachi-3-begins-supplying-...
The 1100 MWe pressurised water reactor was connected to the grid at 3:33pm on 4 March, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced. It said the milestone "lays a solid foundation for the subsequent commercial operation of the unit."
Construction of Karachi 3, the second of two Hualong One units to be built near Paradise Point in the province of Sindh, began in May 2016. Karachi 2 entered commercial operation in May last year. The units are the first exports of CNNC's Hualong One, which is also promoted on the international market as HPR1000.
"After each unit of Hualong One is completed, it is expected to generate nearly 10 billion kWh of electricity annually, which can meet the annual electricity demand of more than 4 million households in Pakistan," CNNC noted. It said this is equivalent to reducing coal use by 3.12 million tonnes annually and avoiding the emission of 8.16 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.
CNNC said the construction of Karachi 2 and 3 has also driven the development of Pakistan's economy and related industries. The local supply of equipment in Pakistan has increased significantly, it said. "During the peak period of the project construction, it has directly provided more than 10,000 jobs for Pakistan, and indirectly created more than 40,000 jobs through the industrial chain."
The Karachi site - also sometimes referred to as KANUPP - was home to Pakistan's first nuclear power reactor, Karachi 1 - a small 100 MWe (90 MWe net) Canadian pressurised heavy water reactor which shut down in 2021 after 50 years of operation.
The first domestic demonstration plants of CNNC's Hualong One, or HPR1000, design are Fuqing 5 and 6, in China's Fujian province. Fuqing 5 entered commercial operation in January 2021; Fuqing 6 started up in December and was connected to the electricity grid on 1 January.
Nuclear energy currently provides around 8% of Pakistan's energy mix from five reactors: four CNNC-supplied CNP-300 pressurised water reactors at Chashma in Punjab, and Karachi 2. CNNC in 2017 signed a cooperation agreement with the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission on the construction of a Hualong One as a fifth unit at Chashma.
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