SHAFAQNA PAKISTAN (Shia News Agency)
Recently construction of a 1000 MW power generation capacity nuclear power plant has started in Karachi, near Hawksbay shore, with the Chinese assistance. The reactor plant cost $4 billion and will take seven years to start generating electricity for the metropolis residents. Setting up nuclear plants will pull up Pakistan from acute energy crisis; however, in the design and construction of reactors, great care is needed to be taken to cover every contingency. The two power plants have the capacity of 2,200 MW of electricity as part of its efforts to diversify electricity generation to resolve the crippling energy crisis. However, some vested interests, at the behest of some foreign powers, have unleashed a propaganda campaign against these plants mainly because of two excuses – untested design of the plants and their location (proximity to a populated city). The successful review of the safety aspect of the design by international experts should put an end to the debate that the Chinese were providing plants that are not yet tested. Apart from clearance of the design by IAEA, one must appreciate that Chinese themselves are also establishing similar plants on their own soil and therefore, there is no reason to worry about this aspect. As for location, PAEC has rightly expressed the view that as a sovereign country it is internal matter of Pakistan where to locate these plants. It is also very relevant to point out that already Karachi Nuclear Power Plant is being run successfully by PAEC for decades in Karachi where two more plants are to be added. We are sure that with the latest development, the IAEA and PAEC have buried the controversy quite deep and the critics would abandon their malicious campaign against these plants.
pakistan.shafaqna.com
