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With the older KANUPP-1 nuclear reactor that has been serving Pakistan since 1972 being decommissioned completely by 2022, it comes as a relief that the newer KANUPP-2 being built with the help of China is in the final stages of its completion.
According to PAEC, the KANUPP-2 reactor was loaded with fuel on 1st December 2020 after approval from the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA). Director General Strategic Plans Division (SPD) Lieutenant General Nadeem Zaki Manj, Chairman PAEC Muhammad Naeem, member power committee of the PAEC, and top officials of China graced the occasion with their presence.
The PAEC spokesperson said, “Its construction began in August 2015 and after an operational examination, it will begin producing power from April 2021.” The KANUPP-2 and KANUPP-3 reactor are both third-generation atomic power plants based on the Hualong One reactor units that are supplied by the Chinese. Both of these reactors will have the capability to produce 1100 MW of electricity with KANUPP-3 joining the grid in October 2021. In comparison, the KANUPP-1 power plant had a maximum capacity of just 137 MW.
The combined addition of 2200 MW to the national grid will help Pakistan to sustain economic growth and industrial development. Both the reactors have already been approved for safeguards under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Image Source: world-energy
