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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Wednesday approved Pakistan's request for application of safeguards at nuclear power plant units K-2 and K-3, said a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The approval from the international watchdog was given by its board of directors, added the statement.
K-2 and K-3 are pressurised water reactors with a installed capacity of 1,100MWs each and are being acquired from the People's Republic of China.
The groundbreaking of K-2 nuclear power reactor was performed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in November 2015.
The project had been in the media spotlight for quite some time with representatives of civil society organisations raising a number of reservations over it, with the chief concern being the close proximity of the project to the city.
China is the only country physically helping Pakistan in building the reactors while international organisations are helping the country follow safety guidelines.
The K-2 and K-3 reactors are being built by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and other organisations. It would be built by using Hualong One, the CNNC’s third-generation nuclear reactor design.
The World Nuclear Association had earlier estimated the cost of the new project at nearly $10 billion.
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Comments (40) Closed
Mar 08, 2017 07:58pm
Nuclear energy is environmental friendly and Pakistan should extend its nuclear power capacity. IAEA is already satisfied with Pakistan's safety and security measures. Therefore, we should not be worried about nuclear accidents. Pakistan has been operating nuclear plants for more than 40years.
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Mar 08, 2017 08:03pm
Unfortunately, the developing world have to still rely on nuclear and fossil fuel to generate power. Hopefully, science comes up with efficient power storage solutions & we can harness solar power & other renewable energies.
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Mar 08, 2017 08:02pm
Good Step Pakistan has very good safety record of nuclear reactors at Chashma operating under safeguards and regulations of IAEA. All the best
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Mar 08, 2017 08:14pm
Excellent - good going Pakistan
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Mar 08, 2017 08:21pm
So Pakistan is getting all this without being part of the civilian NSG( nuclear suppliers group). Pakistan was denied by US of any help in this regard, and people wonder why is China an all weather friend of Pakistan.
In non civilian tech. the collaboration between Sino-Pak is actually much more...more strategic than any two countries in the world.
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Mar 08, 2017 08:37pm
Good gesture...
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Mar 08, 2017 08:59pm
It is very good Pakistan should stay within safe limits, there is a very large space to work within safe limits. Shabash Pakistan keep it up you have a very good friend China.
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Mar 08, 2017 09:00pm
Excellent Step: This will shut the mouth of those "hate-mongers" who are busy spreading false and dirty propaganda against Pakistan---
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Mar 08, 2017 09:20pm
Nuclear energy is good, but have dangers associated with them specially natural disasters etc., Indian/Pakistanis don't have as much discipline as Japanese to coup with nuclear disaster.
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Mar 08, 2017 11:09pm
@IMTIAZ ALI KHAN : O bhai, pls. Speak for your own country folk. Whether we in India have discipline/ability to "cope" with a hypothetical niclear disaster or not is none of your business.
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Mar 08, 2017 11:15pm
Anything from China comes with safety concerns. Hope every safety measures will be seriously followed.
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Mar 08, 2017 11:26pm
@IMTIAZ ALI KHAN
India has all the discipline
I can not say the same for Pakistan.
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Mar 08, 2017 11:32pm
At $10/watt [$10b for 1100MW system] or even $5/ watt [if the two plants together are 2000mw and total cost is $10b] - this is reasonable for nuclear plants.
Solar is about $0.75/watt - and no need for recurring fuel or disposal of waste.
Do renewable aggressively.
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Mar 08, 2017 11:47pm
Pakistan will have problems with spent fuel.
What are they going to do with it? Remember
the home grown terrorist in Pakistan are waiting for the break to use it against the US,
India and Pakistan in a form of crude nuclear
device or is Pakistan will make more nuclear
bombs and point it towards Afghanistan,India and Iran or sell the fissile material to China,
North Korea of to any Islamic State.
These are the key questions the world would like to know.
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Mar 08, 2017 11:56pm
Great news but we have to look into Kalabagh Dam for energy needs, water safety and flood control. I believe Kalabagh Dam can solve lots of problems. Sadly lots of problems have been created for it to become a reality.
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Mar 09, 2017 12:26am
$10 BILLION, can you imagine how many solar panels we can buy with that? Speaking of clean and environment friendly energy, you can actually build a solar powered plant right in the middle of the city and it wouldn't hurt a thing.
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Mar 09, 2017 01:03am
@Counterpoint Not a valid point. Pakistan is going to have the worlds largest solar power park of 1100 MW
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Mar 09, 2017 01:23am
@Oracal SUDHAKAR, USA. Two third world countries. Talking about I'm better you are better game. Reality is dirt poverty and kids selling national flags in ripped old shirt. We both don't have discipline and both are in ego to think they are better than each other. Two lost brothers who are still fighting.
Sadly hate is infused in most of my people's hearts, they have difficulty saying two simple two words in one line. Jai Hind! Pakistan Zindabad!
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Mar 09, 2017 02:03am
@SUDHAKAR, USA
Its Nuclear not Niclear,
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Mar 09, 2017 02:26am
@Maxx, Pakistan keeps her interest first.
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Mar 09, 2017 02:39am
I would think that China makes some of the best quality things in the world
India has been able to go to USA, France, Russia, UK for the same things. But they can't get the fantastic quality that the Chinese make
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Mar 09, 2017 02:42am
We should start to transition away from nuclear energy and into more sustainable energy in the future. Although it is more environmentally safe but if an incident happens we can loose quite a lot and even though there haven't been any incident for the past 30 or 40 years bear in mind that Pakistan gets hit by earthquakes which may hamper the safety of these plants. Also, closer to cities and residential areas could mean that something bad happens, impurities could directly go into water sources and get absorbed by nearby plantation and water beds.
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Mar 09, 2017 03:38am
As a matter of principle there should be no nuclear reactor near a town of more than ten lac population no matter how safe the reactor is.
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Mar 09, 2017 05:46am
@SUDHAKAR Since you called me Bhai this is the message I have for you my brother. My Sai Baba of Shirdi's message.
"Love one another and help others to rise to the higher levels, simply by pouring out love. Love is infectious and the greatest healing energy."
Let go the negatives brother. I have well wishes for both my countries. Ghussa bhula du ab. Jai Hind! Pakistan Zindabad!
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Mar 09, 2017 05:55am
Whatever the case, and whoever manufactures nuclear plants if the cooling systems fail the reactors fail, with the danger of reactor core meltdowns. If the cooling system fails inside a breeder reactor (like Chernobyl) the core will meltdown into the earth before there is time to shut down the reactor. A breeder reactor produces plutonium as a byproduct, but it is the least safe nuclear plant. Profits vs Safety is the issue.
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Mar 09, 2017 06:30am
@Oracal Thank you for doing a great job as spokesman of the world. You are surely a great help because the whole world is dumb and is in need of people like you to represent the questions world has in mind but does not know how to ask.
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Mar 09, 2017 06:35am
Why would Pakistan spend so much money on nuclear energy, when the same can be spent on poverty alleviation and education. Poor govt policy. Sad.
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Mar 09, 2017 06:51am
@SAEED MASOOD bro chinese are just looking ing for a way to sell their products. China didn't transfer the technology to pakistan, which comes under NSG, they are just selling the reactors. And they will never tranfer the technology in the name of all-weather friendship because that would mean that Pakistan will stop buying the Chinese products.
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Mar 09, 2017 06:52am
@TAMZA You're right. But renewable energies alone can't meet the power requirements in developing countries. Power demands peak in the evening when solar power output is at its lowest.
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Mar 09, 2017 07:52am
While nuclear power is environmentally friendly, I feel this won't help Pakistan much.
We face a power deficit, and it is important for us to work on a solution that brings as many (possible) things onto solar power: various industries, street lights, Govt buildings, etc. This would reduce the power deficit greatly and (may) help us create more power than we consume.
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Mar 09, 2017 08:42am
These are untested, untried designs which were not set up even in China. Let us hope these work and not cause any catastrophe.
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Mar 09, 2017 09:05am
Few suggestions:
1. Location be at distant not at the mid of the city
2. law be amended as India has done - In case of accident vendors shall be responsible and bear all the costs of human and environment damage
3. Second hand plant not be installed
4. Other options should not be over looked with such huge amount
5. Third party independent monitoring round the clock
6. Public must be trained for rescue and emergency situations
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Mar 09, 2017 09:07am
Dasu dam going to generate 2000MW for 1.5 billion dollars, QA solar park going to generate 1500MW for 1.5 billion dollars while K2 and K3 are gonna generate 1000MW for 10 Bn $ with radiation risk
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Mar 09, 2017 09:13am
let me say that unproven ,untested size of Nuclear unit of 1100 MW is being planned to install.This size of unit are even not have more than two years sucessful operation any where in the world including China.Life line City of Pakistan put under Risk.The Pakistani grid system is fragile and a small if this unit trip the frequency dip will collapse whole pakistani grid.God forbid if any accidentwill take place can you evacuate a population of 25 million.
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Mar 09, 2017 09:14am
Even nuclear stuff is being brought from china? Isn't there anything that belongs exclusively to Pakistan?
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Mar 09, 2017 09:15am
@AJ Also, it should be It's not Its.
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Mar 09, 2017 09:30am
@Yousef Are you sure that there was no accident happened in Kanupp.Our memory is very short.We forget the heavy water lekage in last decade of 20th century.The unit size was only 137 MW installed capacity.Have your size of grid have imroved to sustain primary , sendary and tertiary reponses during tripping of 1100 MW unit.May be when you will commission this size of unit grid size will be aroound 35 K MW.Have any body done proper grid study .
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Mar 09, 2017 09:41am
For the common man understanding the same nuclear fission reaction will take place in nuclear reactor as that of Atom bomb but here that chain fission reaction will proceed in a controlled manner by absorbing the excess number of neutrons and second difference in enriched uranium level in nuclear reactor is up to 5 %.While for nuclear reactor it will be around 95 % enriched.But think where you are going to install such a large power unit.Can any body tell me what is largest size of unit in existing grid.it will not be more than 400 MW.what you are doing now.
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Mar 09, 2017 10:01am
hope this will satisfy Dr hoodbhai. good efforts by Pakistan to ensure the safety of new nuclear reactors,,,
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Mar 09, 2017 02:14pm
@Muhammad Aijaz Umer i think hubco located in neighborhood of kanupp is generating morethen 1100 MWe and they are planning a 1500MWe coal power plant there too...you are right that we have an outdated transmission system but still we desperately need power plants with a capacity factor of more then 90 and nuclear power plant just fit right in equation...govt should focus on improving transmission and distribution system rather then not installing units greater then 1000MWe....
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