Energy resources are imperative for the economic growth of any country. In this sense, the generation of nuclear power is one of the finest ways to support a country’s energy security. Pakistan is in dire need of electricity because the crippling energy crisis in the country is a larger threat than the war on terror. One of the best energy supply options is nuclear energy, which is the cleanest source of energy, and is also important for numerous other reasons.
To overcome the current energy crisis in the country, Pakistan has broken ground on what will be the country’s largest civil nuclear power plant in Karachi, which is being built with help from China. The Karachi plant will be Pakistan’s largest nuclear power project, with a production capacity of 2,200 MW. Despite international constraints, the nuclear energy programme in the country is progressing slowly but steadily.
After the Fukushima nuclear disaster due to the unprecedented tsunami, the safety of nuclear facilities has turned into a hot debate in all nuclear states. In Pakistan, numerous sectors have uttered apprehensions about the protection of this newly planned Karachi nuclear power plant in case of any natural disaster. Fears shown by some quarters after the nuclear accident in Japan about the safety of nuclear installations in Pakistan do not correspond to the realities on the ground. Contrasting Japan with Pakistan is not appropriate because Japan is an island country surrounded by the ocean and is more vulnerable to tsunamis. Earthquakes are rare in Pakistan as compared to Japan. According to the gathered seismic data, there are three red zones (Makran, Quetta and Muzaffarabad) in Pakistan, which have the potential to cause earthquakes in the future. Pakistan’s nuclear facilities are hundreds of miles away from these areas.
The International Atomic Energy Agency and the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) have comprehensively studied the circumstances that led to the Fukushima failure and the measures taken by Japan to address the crisis and draw conclusions on how to improve the safety of nuclear power plants in Pakistan. Pakistan has the experience of operating nuclear technology, which spans over four decades. During this period, security and safety have been the hallmarks of the nuclear industry. Pakistan has the qualified manpower and professionals and it is now constructing a fourth and fifth nuclear power plant. The security measures at operational nuclear facilities in Pakistan are up to international standards. There are no doubts that safety will be on top priority for Pakistan’s nuclear industry in future projects and Fukushima provides an even bigger drive to Pakistan to enhance safety and develop emergency response programmes.
In the wake of Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster, however, some experts argue that the reactor models China is supplying Pakistan are outdated and based on 1970s technology. In an interview with China.org.cn in 2011, Masood Khan, Pakistan’s ambassador to China said, “Immediately after the Fukushima accident, China conducted the most rigourous stress tests just to make sure that their systems were up to the mark. They have given a clean bill of health to their nuclear power plants and their nuclear technology.” Also, the designs the Chinese are promoting now, EPR and AP 1,000, have been developed and approved by the regulatory authorities in the US and Europe, and are two orders of magnitude safer than the currently deployed fleet of nuclear plants. The new plants promise to be markedly safer and more reliable, and construction costs will come down as more experience is gained in building them and refinements in methods and components accumulate.
All alternatives must be taken into account to contest the mounting energy deficiency and meet future demands. Pakistan is a pioneer developing country in using nuclear technology for producing electrical energy. Pakistan’s sustained safety and security record urges world assistance in nuclear energy production. However, global support is needed if Pakistan is to use this viable source to enhance its energy mix and see itself out of the current energy crisis. Nuclear power is an important part of our domestic fuel mix.
The author is a student of MSC in Defence and Strategic Studies, at the Quaid-e-Azam University