Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif broke ground on the 1200 MW Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit 5 (C-5) here which is likely to be completed in seven to eight years at a cost of around US$3.48 billion.
On June 30, 2023 the prime minister witnessed the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the C-5 project between China National Nuclear Corporation Overseas Ltd (CNOS) and Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) .
Addressing the ground breaking ceremony here at Chashma, the prime minister said keeping in mind the country’s requirements of clean and cheap energy sources, the project should be completed before the given schedule.
Terming it a huge milestone and a symbol of cooperation between the two great friends China and Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif said the project would help the country promoting clean, efficient and comparatively cheaper energy.
He said after a pause of many years, the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was going again in full swing. He gave the credit of concluding the agreement of C-5 to the coalition government and the SPD for their hard efforts.
Charge D’affaires of the Chinese embassy in Pakistan, Pang Chunxue said C5 would help Pakistan building low carbon, clean and cheap energy which would also produce local jobs and would engage the local industries to contribute in the project.
Chairman of China National Nuclear Cooperation Yu Jianfeng said cooperation between Pakistan and China in nuclear energy had become an integral part of the all weather strategic cooperative partnership.
He said the C5 project was a signigicant milestone in the HPR 1000 development global journey. Hualong One (HPR 1000) is the 3rd-generation nuclear power brand to which China has exclusive intellectual property rights.
