Nuclear Power Plants

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The pressure Vessel installed at second Hualong One Nuclear Power Plant

The pressure vessel for the Chinese designed Hualong One reactor under construction as unit 3 of Karachi nuclear power plant has been hoisted into place.

The component was put into place within the unit's reactor building at 8:19am yesterday, China National Nuclear Corporation announced today. It said the milestone marked the unit's entry into the "full installation phase of key components".

The pressure vessel was independently designed by China Nuclear Power Research & Design Institute and was produced by China First Heavy Machinery Company Limited.

The installation of the pressure vessel followed that of the unit's three steam generators. CNNC noted that all four components had been installed within just 19 days, providing "a useful reference for the construction of other similar power stations".

The vessel and steam generators were all installed using CNNC's new method using an E-frame to "flip" the components. It said this method can improve efficiency and safety, as well as reducing labour intensity and reducing the chance of human error, compared with the traditional "fixed bracket" installation. The technique further improves the safety and economy of the "pre-introduction" construction method - where the main reactor equipment is installed before the dome of the containment building - which CNNC first used in a reactor of this type at Karachi 2.

Karachi 2 and 3 are the first export of China's Hualong One pressurised water reactor design, with construction of unit 2 beginning in 2015 and unit 3 in 2016. The units are scheduled for commercial operation in 2021 and 2022, respectively, when they will add a further 2322 MWe to Pakistan's existing nuclear generation capacity of 1355 MWe from five operating units: a small pressurised heavy water reactor at Karachi, and four Chinese-designed pressurised water reactors at Chashma. A third 1161 MWe Hualong One unit is planned for construction at Chashma.

 

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Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission has successfully completed the Dome Placement on Karachi Nuclear Power Plant Unit-III (K3). K2 and K3 Nuclear plants will be in operation by 2021, adding 2,200 Megawatts of Electricity to the National Grid.

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The dome of Karachi unit 3 in Pakistan has been lifted into place, marking the transition from civil construction to equipment installation at the Hualong One unit.

Karachi 3's dome is lifted into place (Image: CNNC)


Karachi 2 and 3 are the first export of China's Hualong One pressurised water reactor design, with construction of unit 2 beginning in 2015 and unit 3 in 2016. The units are scheduled for commercial operation in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

Karachi 3's dome - 23.4 metres high, with a diameter of 46.8 metres and weighing about 388 tonnes - was hoisted into place in the morning of 29 September, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) said. The unit's nuclear island was completed in June, and "pre-introduction" of major components, including the reactor pressure vessel and steam generators, was completed earlier in September. Unit 3's nuclear island was completed in a shorter time than it took to complete the same work for unit 2.

In addition to the two units under construction at Karachi, four Hualong One units - also known as HPR1000 - are being built in China. Fangchenggang 3 and 4 and Fuqing 5 and 6 are all expected to enter commercial operation in 2019-2020.

Pakistan currently has 1355 MWe of nuclear generating capacity from five operating units: a small pressurised heavy water reactor at Karachi, and four Chinese-designed pressurised water reactors at Chashma. A third 1161 MWe Hualong One unit is planned for construction at Chashma.

 

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Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Muhammad Naeem on Monday said the 1,100-megawatt (MW) Karachi Nuclear Power Complex-II (KANUPP-2) will commence operations in December 2020 and (KANUPP-3) (1,100 MW) in October 2021.

While speaking at a seminar organized by the Centre for Peace, Security and Development Studies (CPSD) on Monday, Mr Naeem stated once the 1100MW Chashma-5 is completed, Pakistan intends to generate 8,800MW nuclear energy by 2030.

PAEC chairman told that both the plants had a workable life of sixty-years, which could be elongated to eighty-years.

He added, “Nuclear power plants are reliable having high availability and capacity factor, relatively environmentally friendly, and provide sustainability of electricity price having a low share of fuel cost.”

Currently, the share of nuclear energy in Pakistan’s energy mix is 6% and generating power at an average cost of Rs 9.13 per kilowatt hour.

At present, there are around 454 nuclear power plants being operated across 30 countries globally and have an 11% share of the total world electricity generation, whilst 54 plants in 17 countries are being built.

 

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Nuclear Power in Pakistan

• Pakistan has a small nuclear power program, with 1355 MWe capacity operating and 2300 MWe under construction, with Chinese help.
• Pakistan's nuclear weapons capabilities have arisen independently of its civil nuclear fuel cycle, using indigenous uranium.
• Because Pakistan is outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, due to its weapons program, it is largely excluded from trade in nuclear plant or materials, which hinders its development of civil nuclear energy. However, China is positive about nuclear cooperation with Pakistan.

 

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Karachi 2 reactor internals in place
31 January 2019

Installation has been completed of the reactor internals of the Hualong One reactor under construction at unit 2 of the Karachi nuclear power plant in Pakistan.

The reactor internals being moved within the reactor building at Karachi 2 (Image: CNNC)

Reactor internals are the major structures within a reactor pressure vessel that have one or more functions such as supporting the core, maintaining fuel alignment, directing primary coolant flow, providing radiation shields for the reactor vessel, and guiding in-core instrumentation.

"As the core component of the reactor pressure vessel, the internal components of the reactor are all stainless steel structures with high manufacturing and assembly precision," China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) said.

Installation of the reactor internals within the unit's reactor pressure vessel was completed at 2:38pm on 28 January, CNNC announced today. The company noted that this was 35 days ahead of schedule.

The reactor internals were designed by China Nuclear Power Research and Design Institute and manufactured by the Shanghai No.1 Machine Tool Plant.

Karachi 2 and 3 are the first export of China's Hualong One design, with construction of unit 2 beginning in 2015 and unit 3 in 2016. The units are scheduled for commercial operation in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

In addition to the two units under construction at Karachi, four Hualong One units are being built in China. CNNC is constructing two units at its Fuqing plant in Fujian province, while China General Nuclear (CGN) is building two at its Fangchenggang site in Guangxi province. All four units are expected to enter commercial operation in 2019-2020.

CGN proposes to use a UK version of its Hualong One design - the HPR1000 - at a prospective new nuclear power plant at Bradwell, England.

 

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Karachi Nuclear Power Complex (K2, K3 Reactors) --- 2,200 MW ..... U/C

Satellite imagery from february

 

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China installs outer dome on Hualong One reactor in Karachi

SHANGHAI: China has finished building the outer safety dome at its first overseas “Hualong One” nuclear reactor in Karachi, with the project scheduled to be finished by the end of 2020, the China National Nuclear Corp (CNNC) said late Tuesday.

China is hoping to use its third-generation Hualong One design to boost its presence in the overseas nuclear power sector and it is already making plans to build projects in Argentina and Britain, international media reported. The steel dome — measuring about 53 metres in diameter and over 23m in height, and weighing about 366 tonnes — was placed upon the top of the containment building walls at 8:06am yesterday, China National Nuclear Power (CNNP) has announced.

The Hualong One uses a double-layer safety shell design. Together with the inner protective dome, the outer dome protects the reactor and prevents the release of radioactive materials into the environment in the event of a serious accident. "The successful hoisting of the outer safety dome has marked the end of the main structural project of the nuclear power plant, which has created favourable conditions for the overall test and thermal test of the subsequent containment," CNNP said.

China developed the Hualong One reactor as a rival to the Westinghouse-developed AP1000 and Europe’s “Evolutionary Pressurised Reactor”, with both models beset by cost overruns and construction delays.

The world’s first Hualong One reactor is set to go into operation ahead of schedule in the southeast Chinese province of Fujian late next year. CNNC said its four demonstration projects in China and Pakistan are progressing in an orderly manner, noting that they “are the only third-generation pressurized water reactor projects in the world that are being constructed on schedule.”

Karachi 2 and 3 are the first export of China's Hualong One design, with construction of unit 2 beginning in 2015 and unit 3 in 2016. Installation of the reactor internals at unit 2 was completed in January this year. The units are scheduled for commercial operation in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

 

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Update: Fuel loading to start early next year. Commissioning activities at full pace.

 

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KANUPP takes CSR to the next level

The very first word that jumps to mind when we have a glance at the pyramids and such iconic landmarks is ‘wonder’ but what these actually reflect is ‘legacy’–of some visionary leaders who built these marvels centuries ago. Today’s leaders should also aspire to leave the legacies. They should ensure that whatever they do must have sustainability so that long after they are gone, whatever they started continues to evolve.

To achieve this level of transformational legacy, we have to pursue more than the typical concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) that entails a few nicely-worded hollow promises on official websites and some feel-good philanthropist initiatives. Rather, such legacy requires taking CSR to the next level that is deeply engrossed in all the activities of an organisation.

And that is exactly what Karachi Nuclear Power Project (KANUPP) has been aiming to achieve for over four decades. On the Arabian Sea coast, approximately 18km east of Karachi, KANUPP is Pakistan’s first nuclear power plant inaugurated on 28 November 1972. It comprises a single-unit Canada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) pressurised heavy-water reactor supplied by the Canadian General Electric Company with a gross output of 137MWe. The plant is one of the five nuclear power plants currently owned and being operated by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission.

 

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Cold testing completed at Pakistan's Karachi 2

China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) has completed cold functional testing at unit 2 of the Karachi nuclear power plant (Kanupp) in Pakistan.

The two units (2&3) under construction at Kanupp are the first exports of China’s Hualong One reactor design.

Cold functional testing at Karachi 2&3 involved checking some 7200 welds and 800 mechanical connection points within the test boundary for leaks on seven pressure platforms, CNNC said. All indicators met the acceptance criteria, and installation quality and performance meet design requirements.

Completion of the cold test on 2 December was overseen by the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority and the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. It marks the completion of the main work of the nuclear island installation and the start of the system commissioning stage, CNNC said.

Hot testing will follow, then first fuel loading and finally grid-connected power generation.

Construction of Karachi 2 began in 2015 and unit 3 in 2016 for commercial operation in 2021 and 2022. Currently, four Hualong One units are being built in China - two at Fuqing NPP in Fujian province, and two at Fangchenggang NPP in Guangxi – all scheduled for commercial operation in 2019-2020.

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Getting nuclear-ready

The key message of the “International Conference on Climate Change and the Role of Nuclear Power” held during October 7-11 in Vienna was for major nuclear role as nuclear energy. An integral part of the world’s clean energy future, nuclear power will help fight climate change as it has been a consistent source of low carbon electricity for decades.

From this perspective, it is a landmark development that another two nuclear power plants of over two-thousand megawatt total capacity would come on stream in Karachi within a couple of years. This will result in enhancing three times the present nuclear energy capacity, achieving around eleven percent share in power generation using various energy resources. With this accomplishment, the policy goals of the government to optimise energy mix and low carbon development would be adequately met, which would also be in line with the international agenda for power sector.

The government aims at mitigating carbon dioxide emissions up to 20 percent by 2030. By then the installed capacity of nuclear power generation will reach the mark of 8,800MW, as planned, to generate 27,850GWh annually. Pakistan’s total power generation capacity in 2030 is projected to be 46,683MW and envisaged to generate 191,781GWh, according to the SAARC Energy Outlook 2030. The government’s recent plan for capacity addition of about 17,000MW by 2025 is unrealistic, and likely to be achieved by 2030.

National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has admitted this month application of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) for considering grant of a generation license for its Karachi Nuclear Power Plant-2 (KANUPP-2). The enriched uranium based nuclear power facility of 1,145MW gross and 1,059MW net capacity, is currently in advanced stage of construction, and expected to be connected to national grid sometime during July-November 2020.

KANUPP-2 is one of the two under-construction units of the Karachi Coastal Power Project of the same type and capacity being supplied by China on turn-key basis. Groundbreaking of the two units was held in November 2013, but construction was held up as the public environmental issues took the matter to the court. Project was re-launched after a gap of about two years. Construction of KANUPP-2 thus commenced in August 2015 and that of KANUPP-3 in May 2016. The second unit, known as KANUPP-3, is scheduled to achieve commercial operations by the end of year 2021. These units will have a design life of sixty years.

Both the units are subject to safeguards by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA). These are pressurised light water reactors (PWR) of advanced design, known as Hualong One or HPR 1000 (HPR stands for Hualong Pressurized Reactor). The reactors have special features of having a single stack layout, 177 nuclear fuel assemblies, a double containment structure, and a combination of active and passive safety systems. The reactors are designed to provide emergency cooling for 72 hours in the absence of electric supply. Instrumentation and control systems are supplied from the European sources.

Total cost of the two units is estimated as $9.116 billion, which is being financed through a loan from Export-Import Bank of China, on the Chinese side and, on Pakistani side, under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) of the government. National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) is constructing additional 16km transmission line for evacuation of power from KANUPP-2 and KANUPP-3. Electricity transmission infrastructure for the project consists of 220KV and 500KV transmission lines, which will be completed in 2021. Generation cost works out Rs9.59 per kWh levelised, whereas plant availability factor is 90 percent.

Currently, there are five operating nuclear power plants with a cumulative generation capacity of 1,430MW contributing about 4 percent to total generation capacity from all resources of energy. These units provide economical and safe operation. The first nuclear power plant KANUPP-1, currently of 98MW de-rated capacity, was constructed in 1966 with the Canadian assistance and made operational in 1972. It has completed 47 years of safe and successful operation—much beyond its 30-year design life.

This has been possible through implementing a comprehensive balancing, modernization and rehabilitation plan for the original 137MW nuclear power plant, with technical support from the IAEA. Subsequently, conventional equipment was upgraded and critical equipment and controls were replaced at KANUPP-1. The plant, which is using the fuel produced by the PAEC, is now expected to be shut-down and decommissioned next year.

It was almost after three decades that the construction of the second nuclear power plant was started at Chashma, in 1993. Now four units of the installed Chashma Nuclear Power Plants (CHASNUPPs) are operational that have 40-year design life. CHASNUPP power plants are considered among the best operating power units in terms of endurance and availability. Average cost of nuclear power to the NTDC is Rs6.35 per unit. Expansion of nuclear power capacity has long been a corner-stone of the national energy policy. CHASNUPP-5 of over 1,000MW capacity is planned for launching in near future. Technological and engineering infrastructure created domestically over the years is supporting the existing, under-construction and planned nuclear power projects.

 

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Pakistan Streamlines its National Nuclear Power Programme with IAEA Support

As Pakistan seeks to significantly scale-up nuclear power to meet the rising energy demands of a growing population, the South Asian country has turned to the IAEA for support in strengthening its nuclear power programme. Regulators, operators and representatives of organizations involved in Pakistan’s nuclear power programme gathered at the IAEA’s headquarters in Vienna last month to discuss the Agency’s streamlined support for the country, which is aiming to expand its nuclear power generating capacity more than six-fold over the next decade, from 1430 MW to 8800 MW.

To facilitate this rapid expansion of nuclear power, the IAEA has amalgamated four of its pre-existing national technical cooperation projects—which supported the regulators, operators, waste managers and non-destructive testers involved Pakistan’s NPP programme —into a single project. In doing so, the Agency is bringing together all the relevant stakeholders of the Pakistani nuclear power programme to streamline their workflows, reduce delays and costs, enhance cooperation and harmonize their safety and waste management approaches.

“Pakistan has benefited from the IAEA Safety Standards and other technical documents, but there is always room for the improvement,” said Ahmad Nadeem, Manager of the Technical Coordination Division of the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant. “In order to further improve the safety, reliability and sustainability of Pakistan’s nuclear power plants, we decided to approach IAEA for a comprehensive and integrated national project

 

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American architect Edward Durell Stone (1902 - 1978) shows his design for the new Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology in Islamabad, at his New York studio, 7th June 1961. From left to right, Carter L. Burgess, President of American Machine and Foundry (AMF), Mr Stone, and Dr. Ishrat Hussain Usmani (1917 - 1992), President of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission.