ISLAMABAD: China is interested in investing in Pakistan’s nuclear energy sector and delegation-level talks in this regard will be held in near future.

This was informed in a meeting held between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and a delegation of China National Nuclear Corporation led by Charge d’Affaires of the Chinese embassy Pang Chunxue.

The meeting was also joined by federal ministers Ishaq Dar, Ahsan Iqbal, and Khurram Dastagir, PM’s Adviser Ahad Cheema, and Special Assistants Tariq Fatemi, Tariq Bajwa, and Jahanzeb Khan.

The prime minister welcomed the interest shown by China to invest in the country’s nuclear energy sector.

He mentioned that the inauguration of K-3, the third unit of Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP) yesterday with the assistance of China would help Pakistan overcome its energy needs.

He said the strategic relationship between Pakistan and China spanned over decades and would continue to strengthen with time.

The inauguration ceremony for the K-3 Hualong No.1 nuclear power unit was held in Karachi on Thursday, marking the first time China has officially delivered its self-built third-generation nuclear power technology to a foreign country, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) said.

The K-2 and K-3 Hualong No.1 nuclear power units in the port city of Karachi have formed the largest nuclear power plant in the country, Global Times reported on Friday.

The K-2 nuclear power unit entered commercial service in May 2021, and the K-3 nuclear power unit was delivered in April 2022.

By now, the accumulated generated electricity of the nuclear power plant has reached nearly 20 billion kilowatt-hours, providing power for 2 million local residents, according to CNNC.

The annual nuclear power generated by the K-2 and K-3 units is equivalent to the power generated by 6.24 million tons of coal. This has reduced CO2 emissions by 16.32 million tons, optimizing the energy structure of Pakistan and easing pressure from climate change.

In addition, the full construction period of the K-2 and K-3 units has provided over 60,000 jobs for local society as well as contracts and business for local construction firms.

Since China-Pakistan nuclear power cooperation started in 1991, the two sides have jointly built two nuclear power plant bases with six nuclear power units, CNNC mentioned.

APP

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