Pak, China sign pact for building 2 new nuke reactors

Though a deal on the lines of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal with China, which the media had speculated was on the cards, proved elusive, the Foreign Minister ruled out that there was a move to conclude such a pact.

But he said that Beijing had spoken out against the ‘discriminatory nature’ of that agreement.

China had also said that there should not be any discrimination against Pakistan, which should get a similar nuclear deal, he said.

Qureshi said the agreement provided for building two new reactors at the Chashma nuclear complex that would generate 680 MW of electricity.

He said progress had also been made during Zardari’s visit on improving civil nuclear cooperation with Chin but did not elaborate.

The Foreign Minister parried questions on whether Pakistan and China would have to seek approval from the IAEA and the Nuclear Suppliers Group for the new plants, saying the two countries had a strategic partnership and had been cooperating in the civil nuclear field for a long time.

He said Pakistan is a responsible nation that is cognisant of its international obligations. Pakistan and China had cooperated in civil nuclear field under ‘difficult circumstances’ in the past and would continue to do so in the future.

Pakistan, Qureshi said, was ‘moving in the right direction at the right speed’ as China recognised Pakistan’s needs in the field of civil nuclear technology.

Significantly, the pact on the two new nuclear reactors was not part of the official list issued by Pakistan and China of 12 agreements and MoUs signed during Zardari’s visit. No mention of the agreement was also made during official briefings in Beijing on Friday.

The government led by Zardari’s Pakistan People’s Party has been under pressure from domestic political circles to seek a civil nuclear deal with China to match the atomic pact finalised between India and the US.

The Chashma site already has two nuclear power plants built with Chinese assistance. Recent reports have suggested that the two proposed reactors are expected to cost over Rs 139 billion, including a foreign exchange component of Rs 99.538 billion.

The first nuclear reactor at Chashma now generates 300 mw of electricity and the second reactor is currently being completed.

The two new reactors are expected to be completed in eight years.

Pakistan also plans to set up a nuclear power fuel complex at a cost of over Rs 51 billion to fabricate fuel to be used in future nuclear power plants. Pakistani officials have said the country needs nuclear fuel technology from China to fabricate fuel locally.

Under its Energy Security Action Plan, Pakistan aims to increase the share of nuclear power from one per cent to 5.4 per cent by creating the capacity to generate 8,800 mw of nuclear energy by 2030. Experts believe only an ‘all-weather ally’ like China could assist Pakistan in the nuclear sector at a time when the country is grappling with a crippling economic crunch.