Pakistan’s 1,200MW Chashma-5 nuclear project reaches construction milestone
Pakistan has completed the reactor building dome at the 1,200MW Chashma-5 nuclear project, Profit by Pakistan Today reported on November 10. The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission carried out the work at the Chashma station in Mianwali, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attending a ceremony alongside Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. The government aims to begin electricity generation at the plant in September 2030.
Sharif said nuclear power supplied about 16.6% of Pakistan’s electricity while accounting for 8.6% of installed generation capacity, with its generation share rising to around 26% in winter. The PAEC chairman put existing nuclear plants’ combined capacity at 3,530MW and said they help avert about 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year. Chashma-5 is expected to add nuclear capacity and electricity to the national grid when it enters operation.
At a glance
- The reactor dome has been installed at the 1,200MW Chashma-5 project.
- The government targets September 2030 for electricity generation to begin.
- Existing nuclear plants have a combined capacity of 3,530MW, according to the PAEC chairman.
Why it matters
The construction milestone concerns Pakistan’s power generation sector and the planned addition of nuclear electricity to the national grid.