ENERGY
Pakistan has recently applied for the membership of the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG), a group of 48 countries that seeks to contribute to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons through implementation of guidelines for nuclear exports and nuclear-related exports. Ostensibly, Pakistan has the requisite expertise, manpower and infrastructure to qualify for the membership of the prestigious NSG, and to play a significant role in the international nuclear industry, notwithstanding the fact that it has not yet signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT).
Promoting nuclear power generation is imperative to overcome the energy crisis. Given the conditions, the nuclear power generation will be technically and economically the most viable option for the nation, besides it being critically important from a strategic point of view. Therefore, Pakistan Vision 2050 has set the target to progressively add 40,000MWe nuclear power to the total energy mix by the year 2050. Aiming to increase nuclear power generation share in the current energy mix from the existing two percent to six percent in few years, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) has embarked upon plans to enhance its power generation capacity to cumulative 8,800MWe by 2030. Consequently, PAEC has consolidated and strengthened its well-established engineering support set-up to provide on a sustainable basis the state-of-the-art design, engineering, equipment manufacturing, inspection and testing support for construction, installation, operation and maintenance of nuclear power plants and projects.
The domestic building of capacity and capability in these areas is critically important to meet the future challenges of nuclear industry, national as well as overseas. In fact, indigenisation has been the hallmark of civil nuclear power programme.
The PAEC, over the decades, has been actively engaged in development of human resource to support and sustain its diversified nuclear agenda. It has an elaborate in-house network of educational and training institutes, covering all aspects of nuclear science and technology. PAEC’s integrated engineering, manufacturing and testing facilities have been producing nuclear safety class-2 and, heat exchangers class-3 equipment, components and spares, such as vessels and fittings, based on internationally recognised quality and safety standards. Local engineering industry has contributed towards supply of non-nuclear class vessels, heat exchangers, pumps, hoisting equipment and steel structure etc, and non-nuclear electrical equipment.
Under Pak-China long-term cooperation in civil nuclear programme, China has installed Chasnupp-1 on turn-key basis, restricting indigenisation in the non-safety related areas. But, besides providing technical services, some sixty mechanical components were locally manufactured and supplied to the main contractor for Chasnupp-1. For Chasnupp-2, the scope of locally manufactured components was extended to about 97 mechanical components and fabrication of piping, and support in installation and commissioning was also provided. In addition, Pakistani engineers and scientists were effectively associated in the design, manufacturing, quality control, nuclear safety evaluation, licensing and construction of the plant. Related to Chasnupp-2, the level of indigenisation in civil works amounted to about 17 percent of total cost, whereas local supply of components, spares, auxiliaries and ancillaries were over 20 percent by weight of total nuclear power plant. A number of domestic suppliers and vendors have thus been qualified, authorised and certified for the manufacturing of nuclear-grade mechanical and pressure components.
The indigenisation programme achieved a historical milestone on October 2, 2012, when the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) issued a license to HMC-3 to manufacture the most sophisticated nuclear safety class-1 equipment. Class-1 nuclear safety equipment constitutes primary pressure boundary of the reactor containing fuel and serves as the confinement and barrier for radioactive materials. Thus, it is a major step towards achieving maximum indigenisation of plant machinery and equipment, and places Pakistan among the few countries certified to produce such equipment domestically.
Consequently, contract with the Chinese for the supply of Chasnupp-3 and Chasnupp-4 envisages provision for transfer of technology and training of manpower, aiming at optimising indigenous equipment and components, technical services and civil works. PAEC has specialised in nuclear design, in-core fuel management, thermo-hydraulic design, structural design, and design of process, electrical, and IC systems. Meanwhile, PAEC has joined hands with local heavy engineering industry to work towards local manufacturing of major components of third-generation higher capacity-nuclear power plant, which will be standardised for installations in future, to achieve economy of scale. Currently, two nuclear power projects namely Kanupp-2 and Kanupp-3, each of 1,100MWe installed capacity, are under construction as Karachi Nuclear Power Complex.
Generally, nuclear island includes reactor pressure vessels, steam generators, pressurisers, reactor vessel internals, control rod drive mechanism, reactor coolant pumps, polar-crane refuelling machine, containment vessels and equipment, besides instrumentation and controls system. Nuclear power plant of 1,100MWe requires heavy forgings of about 4,000 tons total weight and special steels. Conventional or non-nuclear island covers pumps, valves, pipes, tubes etc. It is planned by PAEC to locally manufacture equipment and components to the level of about 10 percent cost-wise and 30 percent weight-wise for the initial few reactors, and then to progressively increase the indigenisation level. This will ensure supply chain for material and components for satisfactory operation and maintenance of the plants as well as upgrading manufacturing technology of local engineering industry.
Given self-reliance and indigenisation, Pakistan should be able to accelerate the addition of nuclear power capacity as planned, and in the future, could also eye the potential export market for supply of nuclear equipment, components, accessories, and technical services under the IAEA safeguards, if its NSG membership is accepted. Nonetheless, government’s committed policy to facilitate the indigenisation in nuclear power plants is an essential element for achieving the objectives.
The writer is ex-chairman of the State Engineering Corporation
