IAEA and Pakistan sign agreement for Chashma-5 — Dawn
The IAEA and Pakistan signed an agreement in Vienna, Austria, on the application of safeguards for the fifth 1,200 MW unit of the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant. The document was signed by IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Raja Ali Raza Anwar.
The ceremony took place at the agency’s headquarters on the sidelines of the 70th IAEA General Conference. As Dawn reports, Chairman of the China Atomic Energy Authority Shan Zhongde attended the ceremony.
Safeguards for the new unit
The agreement governs the application of IAEA safeguards at the fifth unit of the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant. The IAEA Board of Governors unanimously approved it in March. A statement on the signing said that the document is an important step toward implementing safeguards at the new facility.
Officials said the agreement reflects Pakistan’s commitment to the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to fulfilling international non-proliferation obligations.
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Construction and cooperation with China
Construction of Chashma-5 is ongoing; recent stages included the ahead-of-schedule installation of the reactor dome. The unit is scheduled to be commissioned in 2028. It is expected to supply Pakistan’s national grid with low-carbon and affordable electricity.
Pakistan currently operates six nuclear power plants with a combined installed capacity of 3,530 MW. According to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, their average capacity factor exceeds 90%.
Before the ceremony, Pakistani and Chinese delegations discussed current and future cooperation in the peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology. Pakistan’s Ambassador to Austria and Permanent Representative to the IAEA, Mohammad Kamran Akhtar Malik, also took part in the talks.
