Beijing has previously supplied two Hualong One units in Pakistan
Pakistan and China have signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the development of a new reactor unit at the Chashnupp nuclear power station, local media reported.
According to the agreement, the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) will build a 1,000-MW nuclear power unit using China’s HPR1000 technology at Pakistan's Chasnupp site, also known as Chasma, where there are four units already in operation.
This agreement signifies China's seventh export of a nuclear power unit to Pakistan, and the third unit using the HPR1000, also known as Hualong One, pressurised water reactor (PWR) technology.
Pakistan has four China-supplied CNP-300 PWRs in commercial operation at Chasnupp, and two Hualong One units at Karachi, or Kanupp.
During the signing ceremony in Islamabad, Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif stressed the economic importance of the project and said it is a major milestone for both China and Pakistan. Sharif said the new project is expected to value about $4.8bn (€4.4bn).
According to data by the International Atomic Energy Agency, Pakistan’s fleet of six commercial reactor units generated about 16% of the country’s electricity in 2022.
Earlier this month, Pakistan’s regulator issued an operating licence for the Kanupp-3 nuclear power plant, making the newest in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s PWR plants are China’s only overseas project using its domestic technology.
