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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 Namea Capacity
(net MWe) b
Utilityc Typed Reactor Suppliere Percent Completef 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
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



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