In a major development, the fuel loading process at the 1100 MW K2 unit at the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP) has successfully been initiated.
With this, Pakistan has taken another step towards overcoming the long-running crippling power shortage.
According to details, members of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) and China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) started the fuel loading process on Wednesday after receiving the go-ahead from the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA).
Before becoming operational in April 2021, the K2 unit now needs to achieve ‘criticality’ and connection to the national grid.
Earlier in September, PAEC and CNNC had successfully completed the Hot Functional Tests (HFTs) at the K2 unit.
CNNC is building two 1100 MW ‘Hualong One’ reactors at KANUPP; K2 and K3. The construction of K2 and K3 reactors had started in 2015 and 2016 respectively. K3 is set to become operational in 2022.
Hualong One is China’s indigenous pressurized water nuclear reactor design that is going to be the mainstream nuclear technology in the years to come. Also known as HPR1000, Hualong One technology is a third-generation nuclear reactor design with the highest acceptability in the current nuclear power market.
China developed the Hualong One reactor to rival US-made AP1000 and European-made Evolutionary Pressurized Reactor. Hualong One reactor is better than both of the US and European-made reactors in terms of technology and cost.
