MIANWALI, Punjab: Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) installed the dome of the 1,200-megawatt Chashma-5 nuclear plant on Tuesday, with electricity generation expected to begin in September 2030.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended the ceremony at the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Generating Station. Chief of the Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir joined Chinese officials and representatives of organisations involved in the project.
Sharif praised Pakistani and Chinese engineers, technicians and workers, saying their efforts had brought dome placement forward from the planned schedule.
He presented C-5 as a clean-energy project and thanked Chinese partners for their contribution. However, the ceremony concerned a construction stage; the plant remains under development.
Addressing the gathering, Sharif linked the project to Pakistan-China cooperation across economic, security and development sectors. He urged Pakistan to make greater use of its resources and workforce to strengthen the economy and energy security.
PAEC’s chairman described nuclear generation as a dependable source of low-carbon electricity. He put the output of Pakistan’s nuclear power plants at 3,530 megawatts and estimated that they help avoid approximately 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
According to the chairman, nuclear plants account for 8.6% of the country’s installed electricity capacity but contribute about 16.6% of generation. Their contribution rises to 26% during winter, he said.
Regulatory records identify C-5 as a three-loop pressurised water reactor. Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) received its construction-licence application in April 2024, together with the required regulatory submissions.
PNRA subsequently issued the construction licence in December 2024. Its project register still lists the unit as under construction, with no first grid-connection date.
(With additional input from Radio Pakistan.)
