Pakistan’s Chashma-5 Nuclear Power Plant Reaches Major Construction Milestone
Pakistan’s 1,200MW Chashma-5 (C-5) nuclear power plant has reached a key construction milestone with the placement of its reactor dome, less than three and a half years after work began and ahead of schedule.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended the dome placement ceremony in Mianwali as chief guest, alongside Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chinese officials and senior representatives of the organizations involved, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
The dome is the roof of the reactor building, which houses the reactor and its main equipment.
The plant is expected to start producing electricity in September 2030.
Cheaper, Steadier Power
The prime minister said C-5 promised clean, reliable and affordable electricity, and would cut Pakistan’s reliance on imported fuels and global price swings.
Nuclear energy makes up around 16.6 percent of the country’s electricity generation despite being only 8.6 percent of installed capacity, and its share rises to 26 percent in winter.
The project could be commissioned earlier than planned, given the pace of construction since its groundbreaking in July 2023.
Seventh Unit Built With China
C-5 is the seventh nuclear power unit China has helped Pakistan build. The prime minister thanked President Xi Jinping, the Chinese government and the China National Nuclear Corporation, and said the second phase of CPEC would open new economic opportunities for both countries.
The project recently cleared another step when Pakistan and the IAEA signed a safeguards agreement for Chashma-5. Earlier, Chashma-1 set a PAEC record of 427 days of uninterrupted operation.
Reference Link:- https://propakistani.pk/2026/11/10/chashma-5-nuclear-plant-dome-placement/
Zamir Ahmed Awan is the founder and Chair of the Global Silk Route Research Alliance, a think tank in Islamabad. He studied engineering at Shanghai University in the 1980s, and years later he went back to China as Pakistan's science counsellor in Beijing, from 2010 until 2016, working on science and higher education cooperation between the two countries.…
