More nuclear power plants planned:PM

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz of Pakistan has warned against failure in construction of water storages, saying Pakistan will be loosing existing storage capacity of six million acre feet (MAF) by 2,010 and will be critically short of water availability with a gap of 1300MAF by 2,025.

..He said the government was planning to produce 8,800mw of nuclear power in the next 25 years by establishing more nuclear power plants but that contribution would be mere eight per cent share of the total national electricity production by the year 2,030.

..Mr Aziz said: “We recognize that to remain competitive and a fast growing economy in the rapidly globalizing world, water and energy security are critical. Therefore, we are aiming at constructing new water reservoirs following a consultative process to sustain high agriculture growth, ensure water supply for drinking and commercial use and generate hydropower.”

He said climate change as well as global warming and consequential phenomenon of desertification made it even more important to start the process of building dams now.

The premier said survival of Pakistan and competitiveness in the coming decades largely depended on substantially increasing the share of hydro and nuclear power in the overall electricity production.

Dawn