Pakistan building new N-facilities

[Zeeshan S.]

Pakistan plans to improve quality of N-power plants
Web posted at: 4/5/2007 8:12:5
Source ::: Internews
ISLAMABAD • The Pakistan government plans to establish a new facility that aims at attaining “complete technological capability” of testing and analysing fuel systems for both existing as well as future nuclear power plants.

Official sources say the facility to be established in two phases would be part of the government’s Energy Security Plan 2030 for generating 8,800 MW of nuclear power.

Currently no experimental infrastructure related to fuel testing/qualification exists in any nuclear facility of the country.

In the first phase, the objective is to establish experimental infrastructures that are needed to qualify the indigenously-produced fuel system covering its mechanical, thermal, hydraulic and functional requirement aspects.

In the second phase, the facility infrastructure proposed in phase 1 will be expanded for the qualification/development of upgraded versions of the nuclear fuel systems of existing (Generation II, III) as well as future (Generation IV) nuclear power plants.

The safe and reliable operation of nuclear power plants is dependent upon tested/qualified nuclear fuel and the proposed facility will serve this purpose.

Each area of fuel testing activity involves a variety of state-of-the-art experimental facilities and technologies that warranted the setting up of the new facility in two phases. The government is expected to initially provide Rs1.3bn for this purpose.

Establishing nuclear power fuel infrastructure is said to be the key aspect towards indigenization of nuclear fuel technology, a significant attempt for self-reliance.

It will involve in concurrence with the development of fuel testing technology capability as it passes through phases of planning to feasibility to acquisition and construction.

Due to international constraints, imposed on transfer of nuclear fuel technology, the whole nuclear programme is vulnerable in the absence of pressurised water reactor fuel testing/qualification capability.

Under these circumstances, it was imperative that Pakistan must achieve this capability by developing nuclear power fuel testing programme facilities.

Officials concerned informed higher authorities that since the qualification of indigenously-produced fuel was an essential requirement for the nuclear fuel programme, the importance of economic feasibility of the plan should not be the main concern.

However, most safety aspects/issues of nuclear power plants are related to the safe and reliable performance of a nuclear fuel system.

http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Di...nth=April2007&file=World_News200704058125.xml

 

[Interceptor]

Nuclear bombs are essentially 'fission' bombs. These are 'Dirty' that means that there is so much radiation that the place and the surrounding area is 'unlivable' for a very long time.

Thermo nuclear bomb is a 'fusion' bomb. The same reaction that takes place in the sun. These weapons are 'clean'. Produce far less radiation than an atomic bomb but release far more destructive power. Thus the trend towards hydrogen bomb or thermonuclear weapons. There is always some radiation because one needs a mini atomic explosion to create conditions where fusion of hydrogen atoms can take place. It is because of this minitiarization that makes it difficult to produce hydrogen bomb.

Not sure what your talking about! The hydrogen bomb is better because it has less weight and greater rate of daughter nuclei and thus has a large explosion where as the atomic bomb if to have the same ratio of explosion it would require more putonium therfore more weight.

Its all about the weight.

 

[Neo]

Pak discussed Nukes cooperation with China
Asia Pacific News.Net
Wednesday 18th April, 2007

Beijing, Apr 18 : Pakistan and China discussed nuclear cooperation when the visiting Pakistani premier Shaukat Aziz met his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao in Beijing last evening. Aziz confirmed this after the meeting, but declined to comment further.

About the proposed development of six new nuclear power plants in Pakistan with Chinese cooperation, Aziz had only to say that routine discussions on the subject were going on.

He said that the two sides signed 27 agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to 're-energise' their strong bilateral cooperation in all fields, including defence, space technology and trade and economics. While 14 agreements were in the public sector, the rest 13 in the private sector.

Responding to a question, he said the Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project had not been discussed in the meeting. Talks for financing the project by Chinese development banks had been going on for the past two years and a Chinese consortium had been declared the successful bidder about eight months ago to construct the project. Non-implementation of the project may deprive Pakistan of its rights over the Neelum waters.

The prime minister declined to comment on development of Thar coal by a Chinese group that had given up discussions with Pakistan on the question of tariffs.

The prime minister said the two sides had signed 27 agreements and memorandums of understanding (MOU) -- 14 in the public sector and 13 in the private sector.

The prime minister said the Chinese National Space Administration and Suparco had signed a framework on deepening cooperation in space science and technology. Pakistan's Ambassador Salman Bashir said the two sides had agreed to jointly launch a satellite, Paksat IR, for communication purposes and an earth observation satellite later.

http://www.asiapacificnews.net/story/242568

 

[Neo]

CDWP to consider 61 uplift schemes worth Rs 65.2 billion today

ISLAMABAD (April 30 2007): Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) has sought an amount of Rs 29 billion for the implementation of seven development projects, which have been referred to the Planning and Development (P&D) Division for the approval, sources told Business Recorder on Sunday.

The projects include Uranium Exploration in Pakistan, Rs 4.61 billion; procurement of Chemical Processing Plant, Rs 16.4 billion; Fuel Feasibility Plant, Rs 2.9 billion; Nuclear Power Fuel Testing Project, Rs 0.96 billion; Engineering Design Organisation for Implementation of PAEC's Nuclear Power Programme, Rs 1.5 billion; Seamless Tube Plant, Rs 2.5 billion and Acquisition of Land and Construction of Office Buildings and Accommodation facilities of Nuclear Power Plant Supplier of KANUPP-2 project, Rs 1.6 billion.

These projects along with other 61 development schemes in various sectors at an estimated cost of around Rs 65.2 billion would come up for the consideration of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) in its meeting on Monday, April 30, the sources said. The foreign exchange component (FEC) has been estimated at around Rs 27.3 billion.

Other projects in energy sector include the Ministry of Water and Power scheme of Rehabilitation of Jabban Hydroelectric Power Station of Rs 1.03 billion and the preparation of tender document and detailed engineering design of Phandar Hydro Power Project with a cost of Rs 0.12 billion, the sources said.

In water sector, the CDWP would consider four small dams projects to be constructed in NWFP at an estimated cost of Rs 0.835 billion. Prominent among these projects, is the Hydro Geological Investigations in District Nowshera (Revised) which would cost Rs 0.107 billion, they added.

The highest allocation might go to the education sector, where the ministry of education is seeking an amount of Rs 31.92 billion. The important scheme to be considered by the CDWP is the Rs 31.7 billion scheme of President Education Sector Reforms Programme. The other project is provision of 119 computer laboratories in educational institutions in Islamabad.

In food and agriculture sector, the important project of Commercialisation of Tea Production Through Public-Private Sectors' Partnership is of Rs 0.889 billion. The ministry of food, agriculture and livestock (Minfal) is also seeking Rs 0.5 billion for the establishment of National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology (NIGAB). Besides, the project of National Bio-saline Agriculture Programme of Rs 0.881 billion and Improving Reproductive Efficiency of Cattle and Buffaloes of Rs 0.489 billion would also be considered by the CDWP.

Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) project of National Programme on Environmental Activity Surveillance of Rs 0.483 billion, Ministry of Defence project of Installation of Ship Lift and Transfer System at Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KSEW) of Rs 2.8 billion and SUPARCO's Pakistan Communication Satellite System of Rs 13.9 billion would be taken up during the meeting.

The Finance Ministry scheme of Rs 0.173 billion Micro Finance for the Poorest financed by Japan and the scheme of Improving Access to Financial Services of Rs 0.152 billion and the Commerce Ministry scheme of Restructuring of the Foreign Trade Institute of Pakistan (FTIP) with a cost of Rs 0.17 billion are also on the agenda of the CDWP.

The CDWP would also take up 10 projects, costing around Rs 3.2 billion, of Ministry of Science and Technology, eight projects of Rs 2.8 billion of Higher Education Commission (HEC), and 16 projects of Rs 2.37 billion in the physical planning and housing sectors.

http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=557684&currPageNo=1&query=&search=&term=&supDate=