China, Pak to join to build nuke plants

China also promised to help Pakistan achieve its target of generating 8,800 MW of nuclear power by 2030 by speeding up the delivery of the six nuclear plants, the sources said.

China earlier assisted Pakistan in setting up the Chashma-1 and Chashma-2 nuclear power plants with a capacity of 300 MW each. Several joint working groups and studies are being undertaken by the two countries to speed up cooperation in different fields, particularly the energy sector, the sources told The Dawn newspaper.

At the same time, Pakistan is building a USD 1.2 billion facility to develop the capability to manufacture full-cycle nuclear fuel and power plants, they said.

The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) will set up the Pakistan Nuclear Power Fuel Complex to attain 100 per cent capability to indigenously manufacture pressurised water reactors and nuclear power plants.

Pakistan made the decision to set up the Rs 36.1 billion Complex following the denial of technology by nuclear suppliers to all countries except favoured ones. The sources cited as an example the proposed US deal with India for civil nuclear technology sales.

The Pakistan Nuclear Power Fuel Complex will comprise a chemical processing plant, a fuel fabrication plant, a nuclear fuel testing project and the Seamless Tube Plant-1.

The prime objective of the Complex is to create infrastructure for making fuel for pressurised water reactors, including essential input materials.

Being an indigenous facility, the Complex will assure regular supply of nuclear fuel to pressurised water reactors and nuclear power plants, the sources said.

The chemical processing plant, which will cost Rs 29 billion, will produce nuclear fuel and structural materials, natural UF6 (uranium hexafluoride) gas from commercially available yellow cake and convert depleted UF6 gas into depleted uranium metal.

The plant will act as a roadmap for Pakistan’s plans to produce one-third of all fuel needed for nuclear plants to be built by 2030. The PAEC is expected to build six to eight nuclear power plants indigenously.

The fuel fabrication plant, to be built at a cost of Rs 4 billion, will develop the capability for indigenous fabrication of fuel assembly for fulfilling the major share of fuel requirements for existing and future nuclear plants.

Pakistan currently imports nuclear fuel from China for its 300 MW Chashma nuclear power plant-2. The proposed fuel fabrication plant will help achieve self-reliance in fuel fabrication technology for pressurised water reactors, the sources said.

The nuclear power fuel testing project, to be built at a cost of Rs 1.2 billion, will establish experimental infrastructure to test the indigenously produced fuel system, including its mechanical, thermal, hydraulic and functional requirement aspects.

It will also help in testing and analysis of nuclear fuel systems and ‘resolve manufacturing, design and safety issues’.

The Seamless Tube Plant-1, to be built at a cost of Rs 3.5 billion, will serve as infrastructure for manufacturing structural materials like Zr-4/SS tubes and rods to be used by the fuel fabrication plant.