Higher Education Commission
Global Developments on Nuclear Electric
Power Technology & Pakistan
Economic
Uplift
Research &
Development
Human Resource
Development
Dr. Javaid R. Laghari
Chairperson
Higher Education Commission
Electric Power
•
•
•
•
Pakistan has an installed capacity of around
19,500 MW
Energy mix: gas, 48%; hydroelectric, 33%; oil,
16%; nuclear 2%; and coal, 0.2%
Supply drastically low for a multitude of
reasons leading to intense load-shedding
Demand rising at 1,500 MW per year.
Government has not been able to catch up
using conventional means
Bottlenecks in producing power
•
•
•
•
•
•
Revolving credit
Gas shortages
Reduced water in reservoirs due to climate
change
Dependence on imported oil
Mining of coal
Alternate energy (wind, solar) not caught up
locally yet
Sustainable energy source: nuclear
15% of the world’s electricity today is produced
by nuclear power
 31 countries, 440 nuclear power reactors,
378,000 MW
 Nuclear power capacity worldwide will increase
to 450,000 MW by 2020, and between 546,000
to 800,000 MW by 2050
 60 reactors are currently under construction in
16 countries

Nuclear electric power in the world
(few examples)






80% in France with 58 reactors
28% in Japan with 50 reactors (largest in world, at
8,212 MW with 7 reactors since 1997)
28% in South Korea with 21 reactors
23% in the UK with 19 reactors
20% in the US with 104 reactors (US leads the
world with 101,000 MW)
18% in Russia with 32 reactors
Chinese nuclear power
Currently 10,200 MW, 14 reactors,
 Expanding to 70,000 MWs by 2020 (26 reactors
under construction), 200 GW by 2030, and 400
GW by 2050
 The Chinese with ‘improved technology’ and
‘low-cost labour’ have significantly lowered the
cost of building nuclear power plants
 For the 1,700 MW, the largest in the world, to
begin at Taishan in 2013 and complete by 2017,
the cost will be of the order of $1,000/KW,
comparable to thermal power plants!

Indian nuclear electric power
21 reactors producing over 7000 MW (950 MW
commissioned in 2012)
 5 under construction
 Increase to 64,000 MW by 2032 (9% of
electricity by nuclear power)

Oil rich countries
electric power
and
nuclear
UAE has signed a $20 billion agreement with
South Korea to build 4x1, 400 MW of nuclear
power plants by 2020
 Iran’s first 1,000-MW at Bushehr completed last
year
 Iran plans to build 19 more reactors

Pakistan nuclear electric power
Pakistan produces dismally low 750 MW (including the
outdated Kanupp (100 MW), and Chashnupp 1 and 2 (325
MW each)
 Plan to add 10 reactors to increase power to 8800 MW
by 2030
 Pakistan is technologically advanced in its nuclear
capabilities and has an indigenous supply of fuel as well
 Can easily improve on its reactor design to make it
commercially viable
 Limitations: Pakistan is outside the NPT, therefore it is
largely excluded from trade in nuclear plant or materials,
which hinders the development of its civil nuclear energy

Concerns on nuclear energy

Disposal of spent fuel

Acts of terrorism

Possible accidents
Solutions exist to all three above in modern
reactor design
Outsourcing for Peace
Europeans, Chinese, and South Koreans are outsourcing
their nuclear technology
 The U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement signed in 2005
will enable India to become a nuclear reactor exporter
soon, according to a US Congressional Report July 2011.
 According to World Nuclear Association, India is already
offering its indigenous 220 and 540 MW reactor design
for export
 It is also following a human-resource-development
strategy in providing trained manpower for the nuclear
industry.
Pakistan should not leave this field uncontested and should
enter the nuclear energy market (in collaboration with
partners) by improving on its reactor design

New Sustainable Clean Technologies






Nuclear Fusion, called the energy of the stars
Scientists from US, China, the EU, India, Japan, Russia and South
Korea are collaborating to build the International Thermonuclear
Experimental Reactor (ITER), the world’s largest and most
advanced Tokomak fusion nuclear reactor at France
ITER being designed to produce 500MW of output power for
50MW of input power by 2019
Following its success, construction of DEMO will demonstrate
sustained net energy on commercial scale
The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at LLNL on March 15, 2012
using laser-based inertial confinement fusion and established the
record-breaking energy output of 1.875 MJ from 192 lasers,
bringing fusion energy, and therefore a clean alternative power
source, closer to reality
Researchers at the University of Bologna in January 2011
demonstrated cold fusion, a claim yet to be verified
The Future
Pakistan should not remain behind in the peaceful
nuclear field when the world is rapidly moving
forward
 We should continue to explore and develop new
technologies for power application
 HEC will assist in providing all scientific
manpower, state of art equipment and research
funding to make this dream a reality for Pakistan

Thank you