09-21-2010, 11:49 AM
BEIJING: China’s main nuclear energy corporation is in talks to build a 1GW atomic power plant in Pakistan, a China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) executive said on Monday.
China has already helped Pakistan build its main nuclear power facility at Chashma in Punjab, where one reactor is running and another nearly finished, and it has contracts to build two more there, despite the qualms of other governments. Qiu Jiangang, vice president of the CNNC, told a meeting in Beijing that the company was already looking beyond those deals to an even bigger plant.
“Both sides are in discussions over CNNC exporting a 1GW nuclear plant to Pakistan,” he said. Qiu confirmed the two countries had signed contracts to build the No 3 and No 4 reactors of about 300MW each at Chashma. He did not give details about who was involved in discussions for the bigger plant and how far the talks had progressed.
A senior Pakistani government official familiar with discussions between Pakistan and China on nuclear cooperation said, “We are facing acute energy shortages and these nuclear power plants are important for us to overcome these shortages.” “We as well as China have said time and again that all this cooperation is under the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency and there should not be any worries or concerns about it,” said the official, who demanded anonymity.
China has already helped Pakistan build its main nuclear power facility at Chashma in Punjab, where one reactor is running and another nearly finished, and it has contracts to build two more there, despite the qualms of other governments. Qiu Jiangang, vice president of the CNNC, told a meeting in Beijing that the company was already looking beyond those deals to an even bigger plant.
“Both sides are in discussions over CNNC exporting a 1GW nuclear plant to Pakistan,” he said. Qiu confirmed the two countries had signed contracts to build the No 3 and No 4 reactors of about 300MW each at Chashma. He did not give details about who was involved in discussions for the bigger plant and how far the talks had progressed.
A senior Pakistani government official familiar with discussions between Pakistan and China on nuclear cooperation said, “We are facing acute energy shortages and these nuclear power plants are important for us to overcome these shortages.” “We as well as China have said time and again that all this cooperation is under the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency and there should not be any worries or concerns about it,” said the official, who demanded anonymity.