An agreement signed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Pakistan government on the application of safeguards in connection with the supply by China of two nuclear power reactors for units 2 and 3 at the Karachi NPP (Kanupp) entered into force on 3 May.
The agreement was approved by the IAEA Board of Governors in March. The IAEA applies safeguards to a number of nuclear reactors in Pakistan under safeguards agreements concluded between 1962 and 2017. Kanupp 2 and 3 will both be 1014MWe pressurised water reactors of the Chinese ACP-1000 design. According to the IAEA reactor database, construction of Kanupp 2 started in August 2015 and Kanupp 3 in May 2016. The Karachi plant has one operating Candu 90MWe pressurised heavy water reactor supplied by Canada. It began commercial operation in December 1972 and is the oldest operational Candu.