Pakistan inaugurates Chinese-aided nuclear plant

Pakistan opened a 330 MW nuclear plant built with the help of China.

The Chashma Nuclear Power Plant is located at Chashma in the Mianwali district of central Punjab, 280 kilometres south-west of the capital, Islamabad.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani called the new plant as another example of Pakistani-Chinese cooperation in the field of nuclear technology.

'Completion of this project takes to even greater heights the long and time-tested friendship between the two countries and their people,' he said.

Pakistan has a small nuclear power programme, but want to increase its output to more than 8,000 megawatts in coming years. Work is already underway on the Chashma-3 and Chashma-4 reactors, each with 300-megawatt capacities, again with Chinese assistance.

Gilani said Pakistan has closely monitored the Fukushima crisis and promised to take additional measures to further improve the safety and emergency planning.