Rs 920 million allocated for Karachi nuclear power plant study, design

To enhance the nuclear power share in energy mix of the country, the government has earmarked Rs 920 million in money bill 2011-12 for a joint pre-project feasibility and design study of a much awaited 1000 MW Nuclear Power Plant for Karachi.
The PPP-led coalition government is holding up work on finalisation of plan to construct this new 1,000MW nuclear power plant in Karachi, preferring instead to focus on other nuclear projects of less capacity. The new power plant is proposed to be built at the site of the current Kanupp plant, near Paradise Point, in Karachi.
The government seems serious in resolving the frequent power failure facing by Karachities by putting another Rs 100 million for improving the KANUPP's long term operation capacity. Another Rs 70 billion has been allocated for fuel dry storage capacity for power plant.
The Kanupp was originally commissioned in 1972. After a life extension of the project was carried out between 2002 and 2004 and again in 2006, the plant got an extra 15 years of operational life. The total cost of these three schemes is Rs 2.8 billion but initially government has allocated Rs 1.0 billion in this respect. Additionally, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission has also allocated another Rs 20 billion to be spent on the Commission's on- going schemes.
It has been learnt that the decision to focus on the Chashma plants were taken as the Chinese agency involved in the project is already working at Chashma, and would have to be moved to work on the Kanupp-II project and then moved back to work on Chashma III and IV.
In budget 2011-12, Chashma Nuclear Power Project (C3 & C4) have been allocated Rs 15.5 billion. The total cost of the project is Rs 190 billion including foreign component of Rs 135 billion. Till June 2011, only Rs 29 billion was spent and Rs 160 billion has been throw-forward. For Chashma Nuclear Project C-II Mianwali Rs 2.5 billion has been allocated. The total cost of the project is Rs 51 billion. Out of total amount, Rs 49 billion will be spent till June 2011.