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— http://www.frontierpost.com.pk/main.asp?id=12&date1=6/25/2002
Two more N plants to be built: Butt
PAEC pushing the frontier, says top scientist
Updated on 6/25/2002 12:43:19 PM
F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD- Pakistan will continue its pursuit of the development of nuclear energy with additional nuclear power plants in the years to come, says Dr Pervez Butt, Chairman Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC).
In his welcome address, the PAEC chief exulted that his organisation was contributing valuable pioneering work in several areas of vital national interest, and presented an abstract of PAEC’s achievements.
Excerpts from his address follow.
Please allow me to briefly describe some of our own activities which span nuclear applications in areas of nuclear power, agriculture, physical and biological sciences, industry, hydrology and health.
I will start with nuclear power.
The availability of cheap and abundant and clean energy supply is a ‘sine qua non’ for development.
The availability of fossil fuels like coal, oil and hydro electricity contributed significantly to the industrial development of the West.
In the last several decades this supply of energy has been augmented by nuclear power.
With 438 operational nuclear power plants worldwide, nuclear energy is supplying 16% of the world’s electricity needs.
This figure is 20% for the US, 39% for Korea, 75 % for France and 34% for Japan.
As you are well aware, Pakistan has only two nuclear power plants, KANUPP and CHASNUPP.
Nuclear electrically is only about 3% of the total generation of the country.
However, these two plants are providing the much-needed electricity, particularly during the dry months, when our hydroelectric power plants are short of water.
At the international level, there are signs of resurgence of nuclear power.
Nuclear power plants continue to be built in Asia.
In Europe, Finland has recently announced its intention of building a new nuclear plant.
In the USA, a large number of older Nuclear Power Plants are being licensed for life extensions.
In keeping with these international trends, Pakistan will continue its pursuit of the development of nuclear energy with additional nuclear power plants in the years to come.
All nuclear power plants, all over the world, pay special attention to safety.
As a responsible nuclear power, we are conscious of it.
In order to ensure the safety of our nuclear facilities and on our own recommendations, the Government has set up a totally independent organization, namely the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA), which reports directly to the Chief Executive of Pakistan.
This is in keeping with the international practice of complete separation between regulatory and production activities.
Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH) continues to be the premier research institute of the country.
It has two reactors which are used for research and isotope production.
PINSTECH has published more than 1100 research papers in international journals.
To further widen its radioisotopes production capability, we have recently initiated a plan to set up a plant for the production of Mo-Tc.
generators which have wide applications in medical diagnosis and which are hitherto imported.
PINSTECH has also developed, and is selling, “laser land levelers” which help to save irrigation water requirements.
The Commission is performing a vital role in Biosciences.
It supplements the efforts of federal and provincial agencies in agriculture, biotechnology and health sector using radiation methods and other advanced technologies, such as genetic engineering.
Forty-one varieties of different crops have been evolved by PAEC.
These crop varieties are higher yielding, resistant to diseases and insects.
To usefully utilise salinity affected lands, a biological method has been developed by PAEC’s agricultural centre - NIAB.
This technology is now being provided to ten developing countries under the auspices of IAEA.
Based on the expertise achieved in this technology, the Commission has prepared a development project “Farmers’ participatory saline Agriculture Development project in Pakistan” for restoration of 25,000 acres of wasteland in the four provinces of the country.
This project has recently been approved by the Federal Government at a cost of Rs. 177 million and is under implementation.
Biotechnology is the technology of future.
PAEC is also a pioneer in this field and established the National Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE) in 1994 at Faisalabad.
It has been declared as a “Centre of Excellence” in Biotechnology by the Ministry of Science & Technology.
The Commission is also a pioneer in using the nuclear and other advanced techniques for the well being of the people in health care.
PAEC has established 12 Nuclear Medical Hospitals in different parts of the country for diagnosis and treatment of cancer and the 13th one is coming up at Abbottabad.
Beside this, four Cancer Hospitals are in planning stage at Gilgit, Nawabshah, D.I. Khan and Swat.
These Cancer Hospitals provide nuclear medicine, radiotherapy and chemotherapy facilities to as many as 310,000 patients/year.
The Commission has also been requested by the Government to set up mamography clinics country-wide, for which the Government has recently allocated a sum of Rs.158 million.
We realise that science alone is not enough for development.
Science and Technology must lead to industrialisation and greater indigenisation.
PAEC has established specialised centres for non-destructive testing, specialised soil testing, welding, material analysis, hydrology, etc.
which are providing assistance to industry.
We have also established industrial plants and, in our quest for greater indgenisation, are now amongst the largest equipment manufacturing organisation in the country.
Sir, we are proud of our contribution to greater self-reliance.
In spite of our well-defined targets, PAEC has a liberal and open door policy with international scientific organizations like IAEA, COG, ICTP and CERN.
We have a long standing and close cooperation with CERN in a number of scientific and technological fields.
This cooperation - which started with collaboration in areas of manufacturing heavy structures, sophisticated software packages, fabrication of some parts of detectors, laser alignment system etc.
- is going to be enhanced manifold.
We look forward to negotiating agreements with CERN involving million of dollars.
Our cooperation with CERN has really opened a window for international cooperation for our scientists and Engineers.
CERN has also very enthusiastically been providing speakers for our Nathiagali Summer College.
As far as the National Centre for Physics is concerned, PAEC not only played a vital role in its establishment but has always stressed that the Centre should be put on sound footing.
In spite of all the financial constraints, PAEC has been helping to keep NCP alive and active.
In our envisaged agreements with CERN, we have agreed that 5% of the earnings will go to the fund which will support NCP activities.