KARACHI: The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission is to undertake a long term study, with the help of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, for setting up a 600 megawatt nuclear power station with a desalination plant attached to it capable of changing 15 to 50 million gallons of sea water into fresh water.

Dr I.H. Usmani, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission who has just returned from a tour abroad said yesterday [July 23] that the dual purpose nuclear power cum desalination plant would be installed either in the Greater Karachi area, to meet the water and power requirements of Greater Karachi or in the hinterland behind Sonmiani, which is the likely site for the second port on the Mekran coast. This station would be installed by 1978….

The Commission has already made a deep study of the cost economics of power generation and simultaneously desalination of sea water by the proposed plant.

Dr Usmani disclosed that the Atomic Energy Commission is also carrying out some studies which may help irrigation of the Sindh desert by desalination of sub-soil water under the desert. He said: “For such long term study latest technologies have to be studied and Pakistani engineers and scientists trained.”

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2020