Planning Commission To Support PAEC’S self-reliance plans in nuclear power generation

ISLAMABAD :To reap the immense potential of nuclear energy, a clean and cost competitive source of electricity, Planning Commission will support Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) to enhance its indigenous technical facilities for the manufacturing and installation of nuclear power plants.

This was stated by Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Sardar Aseff Ahmed Ali on the eve of his visit to Chashma Nuclear Power Plants here on Friday

PAECs plans to install more nuclear power plants to contribute to the pressing electricity requirements of the country are well founded and its increasing indigenous capability in this domain deserves our full support, and we will provide all what is possible to this organization which has an excellent track record of delivering what ever was assigned to it, he said. There is huge reservoir of technical know-how available with PAEC which can be utilized for socio-economic uplift of the country. We need to strengthen this center of excellence for a prosperous Pakistan, Sardar Aseff stated. He said, due to global warming caused by fossil fuel based electricity plants, nuclear energy as clean source has staged resurgence and it is heartening to know that PAEC is poised to take a lead in nuclear generation.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman PAEC Dr. Ansar Parvez said that Pakistan’s nuclear power plants are operating well and PAEC is moving forward to install many more nuclear power plants in the coming years.

In future nuclear power projects, the indigenous capability is to play an increasing role. We already have workshops and facilities in place to this end and we are working to enhance this capacity all along, Dr. Parvez informed.

Chairman said that the technical facilities and know how available with the PAEC is at the disposal of the Planning Commission or any other national institution to make use of the same for the benefit of the country.

Earlier in his presentation, DG Chashma, Mr. Safder Habib dwelt at length on the self-reliance program of the PAEC in nuclear power generation and cited the example of KANUPP which is being run through indigenous capabilities since 1976 when the supplier withdrew all support and world placed embargoes on us.

Deputy Chairman Planning Commission undertook a detailed visit of C-1 and C-2 projects. C-1 is connected to the grid since September 2000 with an excellent availability factor and under-construction C-2 is to be operational by mid 2011. Deputy Chairman Planning Commission also inaugurated a site for development of educational facilities up to university level for the needs of nuclear power complex at Chashma barrage.