Shehbaz calls for energy independence as Chashma-5 dome installed

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended the dome placement ceremony of the Chashma-5 nuclear power plant in Mianwali on Tuesday, where he said Pakistan is working to become economically stronger, free of imported energy and better able to withstand climate pressure.

The 1,200-megawatt unit is the seventh nuclear power plant China has helped Pakistan build. According to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, it is scheduled to start producing electricity in September 2030.

Shehbaz told the gathering the dome went up less than three and a half years after he performed the groundbreaking in July 2023, ahead of the planned timeline, and said he expects commissioning to come earlier than scheduled as well. He said the plant meant more than steel and concrete, describing it as a promise of clean, reliable and affordable power for industry, hospitals, schools and homes.

Nuclear generation, he said, cuts Pakistan's reliance on imported fuel and on international price movements. He said the country, as a climate-vulnerable state, had to pursue energy that supports growth and protects the environment at the same time.

"Pakistan will not wait for anyone, but will build its own future through its hard work and untiring efforts," he said, recalling the commitment he made at the 2023 groundbreaking.

The prime minister thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Chinese government and the China National Nuclear Corporation, and acknowledged the Chinese and Pakistani engineers working on the project. He said the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor would open new economic opportunities and strengthen ties with Beijing.

He said no country could build a prosperous future without safeguarding its present, and acknowledged the armed forces under Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for their role in security and stability. He praised the military's conduct during Marka-e-Haq and Field Marshal Munir's backing for the government's economic revival plans. Field Marshal Munir attended the ceremony, along with senior Pakistani officials and Chinese representatives.

The PAEC chairman said the country's nuclear plants were generating 3,530 megawatts safely and efficiently, avoiding about 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year. Nuclear energy supplies around 16.6 per cent of Pakistan's electricity generation from 8.6 per cent of installed capacity, a share that rises to roughly 26 per cent in winter, he said.

Shehbaz also congratulated the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, the China Atomic Energy Authority, the China National Nuclear Corporation, contractors, engineers and financial institutions, and thanked the people of Mianwali for hosting the project.