At Karachi’s Paradise Point, on the coastline of Pakistan, China’s long-term ambition for a world-leading nuclear energy industry is coming into view. For nearly half a century, power at the site — Pakistan’s first nuclear operation — was delivered by Canadian-designed reactors. But, last year, Pakistani nuclear officials gave their final approval for new Hualong-1 reactors, which represent the first exports of China National Nuclear Corporation’s third-generation power station technology.
“It clearly has environmental attributes that can help but safety, fuel reprocessing and uranium availability are concerns . . . It’s unclear how big a role nuclear will play in China’s energy transition.” Last year, nuclear power accounted for about 5 per cent of total electricity generation in China but investment in construction of new plants reached $13.1bn — the highest in five years.