Karachi Nuclear Power Plant

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location

Coordinates

24 ° 50 ′ 40 " N , 66 ° 47 ′ 20" E Coordinates: 24 ° 50 ′ 40 " N , 66 ° 47 ′ 20" E

Country:

Pakistan

Data

Owner:

Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission

Operator:

Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission

Project start:

1965

Commercial operation:

Dec. 7, 1972

Active reactors (gross):

1 (137 MW)

Energy fed in in 2006:

15 GWh

Energy fed in since commissioning:

9,993 GWh

Website:

The nuclear power plant on the side of the operator

Was standing:

December 31, 2007

The data source of the respective entries can be found in the documentation .

The nuclear power plant Karachi (also with the abbreviation KANUPP - Ka rachi Nu clear P ower P lant - called) is the Paradise Point, about 15 miles west of Karachi in Pakistan . It has been in commercial operation since 1972. The Karachi Nuclear Power Plant is part of the Karachi Nuclear Power Complex (KNPC) and owned by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), which is also the operator.

history

Construction of the nuclear power plant's reactor began on August 1, 1966. Construction was carried out with the support of Canada. The reactor went critical for the first time on August 1, 1971, was first synchronized with the power grid on October 18, 1971 , and went into commercial operation on December 7, 1972. The facility was officially inaugurated on November 28, 1972 by the then President of Pakistan Bhutto . The release of radioactive material through liquid and gaseous discharges remained within 4% of the maximum permissible limit value. On December 23, 1976, nuclear cooperation between Canada and Pakistan ended because of concerns on the Canadian side about the Pakistani nuclear program . Thus the deliveries of uranium were also stopped.

Pakistan also operates a heavy water production facility in Karachi .

In 2013, construction work began on two new units, but these were interrupted. Construction work continued on August 20, 2015; two units of the Chinese type Hualong One are to be built.

safety

An in-depth analysis of the operational safety of the plant was carried out in 1985 and 1989 by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with the Operation Safety Review Team (OSART) . The IAEA team found no errors in either OSART mission.

In 1992, the Karachi nuclear power plant undertook to replace the outdated computers and the outdated control and regulation technology.

After more than four decades of operation, the signs of natural aging are becoming increasingly noticeable. Many critical components are reaching the end of their originally designed operating life and must also be replaced. The heavy water production facility also operates under IAEA safety regulations.

The general public and environmentalists have concerns about the release of radioactive waste from nuclear power plants and their effects. However, according to the operator, the records of waste disposal at the Karachi nuclear power plant were particularly satisfactory, and the operator pledged to bring the management of waste to the highest possible standards. Solid waste and resins are stored on the factory premises in adequately shielded locations. Liquid waste is disposed of after chemical and radiological analyzes.

reactor

A special variant of the CANDU reactor ( pressurized water reactor with heavy water as moderator) was built in the Karachi nuclear power plant . The reactor uses slightly enriched natural uranium as fuel. The reactor has a net electrical output of 125 MWe and a gross electrical output of 137 MWe. Since commissioning, it has fed around 9,993 GWh into Pakistan's commercial power grid .

Accident

On October 18, 2011, an incident occurred at the Karachi nuclear power plant. A state of emergency was declared at short notice when a leak was found in a water pipe, but after several hours of work by a team of specialists in the reactor, this was lifted again. There was no risk to the personnel or the environment, even if the leak leaked water, which was not radioactive. The incident was only published on October 20, 2011. A classification on the INES scale has not yet taken place.