Pakistan's nuclear power programme passed another milestone on Tuesday when the dome of the under-construction Chashma-5 (C-5) nuclear power plant was successfully placed at the Chashma Nuclear Power Generating Station in Mianwali. The 1,200-megawatt unit is expected to begin generating electricity in September 2030.
According to the Prime Minister's Office, the ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chinese engineers and senior officials. The prime minister praised the engineers, technicians and workers from both Pakistan and China.
"We must increasingly harness our resources and human capital to build a Pakistan that is economically stronger, energy-secure and environmentally responsible," Shehbaz said, describing C-5 as a sign of the country's commitment to clean, emissions-free power and a reaffirmation of the "all-weather friendship" with China.
The chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) said the country's nuclear plants are safely generating 3,530MW and help avoid around 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year.
Although nuclear accounts for only 8.6 percent of installed capacity, he said, it supplies about 16.6 percent of Pakistan's electricity, rising to 26 percent in winter. With imported fuel costly amid global oil market turmoil, C-5 is set to add a large block of steady, low-carbon power to the grid.