THE foundation stone of Pakistan’s largest nuclear power plant has been laid. Chashma Nuclear Power Plant-5 will start supplying 1200 MW electricity to the National Grid in 2030. High-level personalities and experts of China participated in the event. The delegation included the Chairman of China National Nuclear Corporation and China Nuclear Overseas Services and high officials of the Chinese government. Chashma Nuclear power plant-5 is Pakistan’s biggest power plant. It will start generating 1200 megawatts of electricity in 2030.
Officials of Pakistan and China have signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of Chashma Nuclear Power Plant and Nuclear Power Plant-5. Diplomats of other countries including the Chinese Ambassador also participated in this event. Chashma Nuclear Power Plant One, Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Two, Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Three, Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Four, Paradise Karachi, Karachi Nuclear Power Plant have been built on the coast of the Arabian Gulf. Chashma Nuclear Power Plant-5 will be bigger than four and will provide 1200 MW of electricity throughout the year. Karachi Nuclear Power Plant-2, Karachi Nuclear Power Plant-3, which started supplying electricity to the National Grid a few years ago, have a production capacity of eleven hundred megawatts each.
Chashma Nuclear Power Plant-1 and 2 generate 320 MW each and Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Three and Four generate 340 MW each are generating electricity without any interruption. In this way, more than 4500 MW of nuclear power will be added to the national grid throughout the year. The production cost of nuclear power will be less than the cost of all types of thermal power, including furnace oil, diesel oil, coal and hydropower. The production cost of nuclear power is 13 rupees per unit while the production cost of thermal power which is made from coal, furnace and diesel is rupees forty per unit.
Nuclear power is environment-friendly and transparent energy and does not spread density in the area. Thermal power plants cannot generate electricity throughout the year. They have to be shut down while nuclear power plants continue generating electricity throughout the year. Only on the occasion of adding its fuel after one year, the plant has to be closed for 8-10 days for annual maintenance, while these plants continue to generate electricity continuously for 51 weeks.
For the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant, which is worth billions of dollars, China has given Pakistan the facility not to give its advance price to China, but after this largest power plant of Pakistan starts generating 1200 MW of electricity. For the construction of the gigantic project China initially will bear the billions of dollars cost of this plant because Pakistan is currently facing a financial crisis and China wants the construction of Chashma Nuclear Power Plant-5 to start in friendly country Pakistan. Pakistan will pay the construction cost to China when after seven years Pakistan is financially stable.
Pakistan needs to meet its power requirements urgently. We now have around 250 millions of population in the country. Though power generation companies are generating electricity on a day and night basis yet are unable to meet the demand of electricity. Pakistan will have to go for alternative means of power generation. Hydel, thermal and nuclear power plants can’t meet our needs currently, therefore, windmills are needed on a very large scale in scattered windy areas across the country. It provides electricity locally at a very nominal cost. Solar energy is another medium of gaining electricity. In Pakistan, the summer season is always very long and hot. Sun shines in every part of the country. We need to promote solar systems in the country so that people can become independent in their energy needs.
Sunshine is a great blessing for us. I have observed the use of wind mills systems in the entire world and the United Kingdom. China is a very big country. Solar and wind mill systems of power generation cost very low to meet requirements of scattered residents. To meet the agricultural requirement of power, the United Kingdom, United States of America and China are successfully getting benefits of solar systems and wind mills. Our neighbour India has long been to their people from the solar system and wind mills in the remote areas. We need to meet our requirement of power from windmills and solar energy. Karachi is a very big city of millions of population. Its windy coastal region is a blessing for Karachi. Installation of wind mills along a very long coastal region of Pakistan can meet power needs locally.
—The writer is editor, book ambassador political analyst and author of several books based in Islamabad.
Email: naveedamankhan@hotmail.com
