China to expedite delivery of N-plants: Indigenous capability being pursued

By Ihtasham ul Haque

ISLAMABAD, May 8: Islamabad and Beijing will set up a corporation shortly to build nuclear- and coal-based power plants in Pakistan. The decision to form the ‘China-Pakistan Power Plant Corporation’ was taken during President Pervez Musharraf’s visit to China last month.

Sources said China had promised to help meet Pakistan’s nuclear energy requirements of 8,800 megawatts by 2030 by expediting the delivery of six plants of 300MW each. Earlier, the country had assisted Pakistan in setting up the Chashma-1 and Chashma-2 plants of the same capacity.

The sources said that several joint working groups and studies were being undertaken by the two countries to speed up cooperation in different fields, particularly the energy sector.

“But side by side, Pakistan is building a $1.2 billion facility to develop capability to manufacture full-cycle nuclear fuel and power plants,” they said.They said the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) would establish the Pakistan Nuclear Power Fuel Complex (PNPFC) to attain 100 per cent indigenous capability to manufacture pressurised water reactors (PWR) and nuclear power plants.

Pakistan had taken the decision to set up the complex in the face of nuclear suppliers’ denial of the technology to all except favoured ones. They cited as example the US deal with India on civil nuclear technology sales.

The complex will comprise a chemical processing plant, a fuel fabrication plant (FFP), nuclear power fuel testing project and Seamless Tube Plant-1 (STP-1).

Its prime objective is to set up an infrastructure for the production of PWR fuel, including essential input materials. Being an indigenous facility, it will assure regular supply of nuclear fuel to pressurised water reactors and nuclear power plants.

The plan will cost over Rs36.1 billion.

The chemical processing plant, which will cost Rs29 billion, is meant to produce nuclear fuel and structural materials, natural UF6 (uranium hexafluoride) gas from the commercially available yellow cake (U3O8) and for the conversion of depleted UF6 gas into depleted uranium metal.

The plant will act as road-map for fulfilling the requirement of one-third of fuel needed for nuclear plants planned to be constructed by 2030.

Initially, the PAEC is expected to construct six to eight nuclear power plants indigenously.

The fuel fabrication plant will be built at Rs4 billion to develop the capability for indigenous fabrication of fuel assembly for fulfilling the major share of the fuel requirements for existing and future nuclear plants.

At present, the government imports nuclear fuel from China for the 300MW Chashma Nuclear Power Plant-2. The fabrication cost is around $400 million and the proposed FFP will help achieve self-reliance of PWR fuel fabrication technology.

The nuclear power fuel testing project will be built at a cost of Rs1.2 billion. Its main objective is to establish experimental infrastructures to qualify the indigenously produced fuel system, covering its mechanical, thermal, hydraulic and functional requirement aspects. It will help attain the testing and analysis capability for nuclear fuel systems and resolve manufacturing, design and safety issues.

The Seamless Tube Plant-1 will be built at a cost of Rs3.5 billion and its prime objective is to set up an infrastructure for the production of structural materials (Zr-4/SS tubes and rods) to be used by the fuel fabrication plant.

http://www.dawn.com/2008/05/09/top5.htm

This is fantastic news. Long live Pakistan and China !

We are going to need more engineers and scientists, technicians and support industries, engineering and science universities etc. to support this venture. But it is imperative we research alternate sources of energy, including solar and wind etc.

Problem with nuclear power is what are we going to do with the nuclear waste and if there is a Chenobyl type disaster can we cope?

The power plants must be setup away from cities and away from water sources etc.

pakistan should go for fast breeder reactors. Fast breeder reactors use U238 as opposed to U235 for weapon grade uranium used in light water reactors. the bi product of these fast breeder reactors is Plutonium and iradium( may be krypton, dont remember now). hence, pakistan will produce huge amounts of PLutonium for miniaturized nuclear weapons with higher yeild than uranium 235. Another advantage of U238 is getting the fuel for these reactors. Pakistan has huge deposits of U238 in DG khan area.

Does anyone know about Thorium 233 availability within in pakistan. how much reserves do we have? if pakistan goes for thorim reactors then there is no waste product assocaited with it. and then our neighbor afghanistan wont complain that pakistan is dumping nuclear waste, hahaha lol !!1

China should rush nuclear power plants, centrifuges, blueprints and missiles to Pakistan, Not only that China should share its space program with Pakistan, Building a space-port, SLV, Anti-Sat missiles ,eventually manned flight by Pakistan.

Needless to say, a Pakistan armed to the teeth is in Chinese interests to keep India in constant regional check.

This partnership has the potential of being the equivalent of the co-operation between EU states. Pakistan is in dire need and China has the capacity to supply. This partnership will only be a win-win for both sides. Only if our leadership realized that priorities lie elsewhere.

USA is playing the wrong cards again. By opening up to India they force Pakistan to reach atleast the same but within Pakistan... Thanks a lot partner in WOT...

I would prefer China to either manage to allow the 600MW second generation power plants being made under license of Westing in Pakistan or else get us the 1,000MW third generation power plant which it is recently undertaking with TOT from USA & France.

300MW is way too small & is from first generation technology which is no more commercially produced in China !

i think we are already manufacturing 80 % of current plant excluding turbines electronic controls and fuel of course

This is the future... it must be pursued even if the world ask us to get free nuclear reactors from them...maximum self reliance is the only way to survive