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Pakistan's Nuclear Power Reactors

Pakistan had 14 gigawatts (GW) of installed electric generating capacity as of January 1, 1996. Of this, about 9 GW was thermal (mainly oil and natural gas), and 5 GW hydroelectric (plus 0.1 GW of nuclear). Despite recent increases in installed generating capacity, Pakistan faces chronic electricity shortages due to rapid demand growth, system losses as high as 30% (due mainly to theft and poor quality transmission lines), and seasonal reductions in the availability of hydropower. Rotating power outages ("load shedding") are common and around 60% of the population (including many villages) is not yet electrified. Although Pakistan's current per capita electricity consumption is very low, the country's electric power demand is growing rapidly (as high as 12% per year), and is projected to continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Pakistan has one operating nuclear power plant -- the 125-MW Kanupp plant -- which entered operation in October 1971. Pakistan built a second, 300-MW, nuclear plant (using Chinese technology) at Chasma in the Punjab region. This plant, known as Chasnupp 1, was completed in 2000. A second 300-MW unit at Chasnupp is planned for completion in about 10 years.

All of Pakistans nuclear facilities are physically secured and five of them are under IAEA safeguards: Kanupp and Chasma nuclear power plants, the two Parr research reactors, and the Hawks Bay depot.

Location	Unit Name^a	Capacity (net MWe) ^b	Utility^c	Type^d	Reactor Supplier^e	Percent Complete^f	Expected / Actual Date of Operation
Karachi, Sind	Kanupp	125	PA	PHWR	CGE	100		10/1971
Mianwali, Punjub	Chasnupp 1 (Chasma)	300	PA	PWR	CNNC	100	03/1999	2000
Mianwali, Punjub	Chasnupp 2 (Chasma)	300	PA	PWR	CNNC	--	2007	2013
^aThe Energy Information Administration's review of the latest data sources may have resulted in revisions of names, capacities, and operation dates. For the United States, revisions are based on the Form-860 "Annual Electric Generator Report." ^bMWe = Megawatts-electric. ^c PA Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission ^dReactor Types: APWR, advanced pressurized light-water-moderated and cooled reactor; BWR, boiling light-water-cooled and moderated reactor; LGR, light-water-cooled, graphite-moderated reactor; PHWR, pressurized heavy-water-moderated and cooled reactor; PWR, pressurized light-water-moderated and cooled reactor. ^e CGE Canadian General Electric CNNC China National Nuclear Corporation ^fPercent complete is an estimate of how close the nuclear unit was to completion. ^gPublished date is the estimated date of commercial operation. ^hEIA projection refers to when a nuclear unit is estimated to become operable. A dash (--) indicates that the estimated year of operability is beyond the year 2015. Sources: International Atomic Energy Agency, Nuclear Power Reactors in the World (Vienna, Austria, April 1997); Nuclear News, "World List of Nuclear Power Plants" (March 1997), pp. 37-52. NAC International, "Nuclear Generation," (February 1997), Section F, pp. 1-43; Form EIA-860 "Annual Electric Generator Report."

Sources and Resources

Pakistan Country Analysis Brief - United States Energy Information Administration - May 1998
Appendix D World Nuclear Units Operable as of December 31, 1996 - Energy Information Administration Nuclear Power Generation and Fuel Cycle Report 1997 September 1997
Appendix E World Nuclear Units Planned, Deferred, or Under Construction as of December 31, 1996 - Energy Information Administration Nuclear Power Generation and Fuel Cycle Report 1997 September 1997
Pakistani Facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards or containing safeguarded material on 31 December 1996
Nuclear material : 2 March 1977 INFCIRC Number: 248
Miniature neutron source reactor : 10 September 1991 INFCIRC Number: 393
Nuclear power reactor : 24 February 1993 INFCIRC Number: 418

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Updated Friday, May 12, 2000 7:56:06 PM