Pakistan plans new enrichment facility

23 August 2007

[Press Trust of India, 23 August] Pakistan is planning to build a new uranium enrichment facility to supply the country's civil nuclear power program. The facility would be equipped with Pakistan-made centrifuges and would be placed under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. It is reported to be part of the $2 billion Pakistan Nuclear Power Fuel Complex to be built at Kundian, in Punjab province. Pakistan already has a small enrichment facility, the Khan Research Laboratory (KRL), which produces enriched uranium for its weapons program but does not have any civil use and is not under safeguards. Pakistan currently imports fuel for its operating pressurized water reactor (PWR) from China, but has announced plan to develop an indigenous fuel cycle. According to press reports, the government of Pakistan has decided in principle to develop its own PWRs because of the lack of progress of efforts to reach a nuclear trade agreement with the USA. Like India, Pakistan is not a signatory to the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty.

Further information

WNA's Nuclear Power in Pakistan information paper

WNN: Pakistan plans fuel testing facility

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