Pakistan Nuclear Power Fuel Complex Explained

The Pakistan Nuclear Power Fuel Complex (PNPFC), also known as Chemical Processing Plant (CPP), is a nuclear fuel manufacturing and a fabrication plant located in about south of Islamabad, possibly in Faisalabad District in Punjab.^[1]

The plant is owned by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, dedicated solely for nuclear reprocessing to support the pressurized water reactor-type reactors. The plant provides fuel for the larger Chashma Nuclear Power Plant (CHASNUPP) in Punjab, which converts the U₃O₈ to natural UF₆, and enriched UF₆ into powder, then converted depleted UF₆ into depleted uranium metal and produced zircon ingot. The plant is under the IAEA safeguards and is restricted to manufacture fuel bundles only for Chashma Nuclear Power Plant built in cooperation with China.^{[2] [3]}

History

In 2006, the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission originally planned to establish the US$ 1.2 billion industrial complex that consisted of separate uranium enrichment and a fuel fabrication plant to support the grid operations of the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant (CHASNUPP) to lessen the dependence on imported fuel bundles from China. In 2007, the federal Government of Pakistan approved the funding for the plant at the cost of .^[4] It was reported that that nuclear fuel complex was built at the cost of paid through the Pakistani taxpayers. The PAEC constructed the plant through a private company, the Central Development Working Party (CDWP Ltd.), in 2009.

Due to constraints imposed by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the capacity of the nuclear fuel complex has been limited and the fuel bundles were reported to be imported from China to run the grid operations for reactors at the Chashma Nuclear Power Complex.^{[5] [6]} In spite of its limitation and public perception of the imported fuel, the Pakistan Nuclear Power Fuel Complex was reported by be manufacturing and providing the fuel bundles for the Chashma Nuclear Power Complex.^[7]

See also

• Chashma Nuclear Power Plant
• China-Pakistan Power Plant Corporation
• Karachi Nuclear Power Plant
• Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission

External links

• Web site: . Current Issues: New Uranium Conversion/Enrichment and Nuclear Fuel Plant Projects - Asia . live . https://archive.today/20241003213907/http://www.wise-uranium.org/epasi.html . 2024-10-03 . WISE Uranium Project . Enrichment & Fuel Fab. > Issues.
• News: Hasan . Shah . 26 January 2010 . Pak to enrich uranium for nuclear power plants . Pakistan Observer . XXI . Factiva ASPKOB0020100127e61q00001.

Notes and References

1. Book: Boureston, Jack . Understanding Pakistan's Energy Security Needs and the Role of Nuclear Energy . June 2008 . South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (SASSI) . Sultan . Maria . Research Report . 16 . London . ETH Zürich isn : 99927 : RR No 16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101206230920/http://www.sassi.org/pdfs/boureston%20june%202008.pdf . 2010-12-06 . dead.
2. News: Ghani . M. Osman . 2009-02-25 . Pakistan’s energy sector needs long-term sustainable policy . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090225015831/http://jang.com.pk/thenews/feb2009-weekly/busrev-23-02-2009/p2.htm . 25 February 2009 . 2022-08-22 . The News International . Business & Finance Review . Jang Group . 2?.
3. Web site: Aized . Tauseef . July 28, 2009 . Nuclear power generation . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230208010247/https://www.nation.com.pk/28-Jul-2009/nuclear-power-generation . 2023-02-08 . The Nation . Nawaiwaqt Group .
4. Web site: September 19, 2007 . Pak to build nuclear power fuel complex . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240316002813/https://newsonprojects.com/news/pak-to-build-nuclear-power-fuel-complex . 2024-03-16 . 16 March 2024 . News On Projects . Islamabad .
5. Web site: February 2011 . Nuclear Power in Pakistan . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110324004141/https://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf108.html . 24 March 2011 . 2012-03-12 . World Nuclear Association . This is partly based on: Book: Wilson, Michael . 1995 . Centre for the Study of Australia-Asia Relations, Griffith University . 086857595X . Australia-Asia papers . 74 . Google Books YbS2AAAAIAAJ (search-only). HathiTrust uc1.31822021215140 (search-only)..
6. http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=139775
7. Web site: Albright . David . Kelleher-Vergantini . Serena . February 20, 2015 . Pakistan’s Chashma Plutonium Separation Plant: Possibly Operational . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240626212919/https://isis-online.org/isis-reports/detail/pakistans-chashma-plutonium-separation-plant-possibly-operational/12 . 2024-06-26 . 16 March 2024 . Institute for Science and International Security . en . Washington, D.C..