IAEA chief calls Pakistan nuclear power plants' safety 'world-class'

ISLAMABAD: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General (DG) Rafael Mariano Grossi has lauded Pakistan’s nuclear power plants safety, terming the safety measures at plants as world-class, ARY News reported.

Addressing a seminar in Islamabad on Thursday, the IAEA chief said Pakistan’s capacity in establishing new nuclear power plants indicates a promising future for nuclear energy and achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

Rafael Mariano Grossi acknowledges Pakistan’s technical and engineering capacity for new nuclear power plants including Small Modular Reactors. Lauding Pakistan’s nuclear safety, Rafael Mariano Grossi termed safety measures at nuclear plants as “world class”.

Speaking on the occasion, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan has a mutually beneficial relationship with the IAEA that includes all areas of nuclear technology.

He stated that despite of ranking as low as 158th among carbon-emitting countries, Pakistan is amongst the countries most severely affected by climate change.

He said Pakistan has achieved great milestones in nuclear science and technology for the socio-economic uplift of the country in areas such as cancer diagnosis and treatment, development of disease-free and high-yield crop varieties and food preservation.

The Minister said nuclear power provides clean and cheap energy and currently contributes to eight percent of Pakistan’s energy mix with six operational nuclear power plants.

He said Pakistan has an impeccable nuclear safety and security record and plans to develop more power plants.

Ahsan Iqbal said to energy deficient and economically strained countries like ours, nuclear power is sustainable, clean, and a green source of energy in the overall energy mix, which also includes wind and solar power. He said it is the best solution to the challenge of climate change as well.

Earlier in the day, Rafael Mariano Grossi inaugurated Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action (ZODIAC) Laboratory at the Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (NIAB) Faisalabad.

Learning from Covid-19 pandemic, ZODIAC initiative was launched by the IAEA in June 2020 to help countries prevent pandemics caused by bacteria, parasites, fungi or viruses that originate in animals and could be transmitted to humans.

Using a systematic and integrated approach, ZODIAC would strengthen the preparedness and capabilities of IAEA Member States to detect and timely respond to outbreaks of such diseases.

IAEA chief’s visit  

The IAEA chief is in Pakistan on a two-day trip to discuss matters related to the Pakistan-IAEA collaboration. This is Grossi’s maiden visit to Pakistan after assuming office in 2019.

During his stay, IAEA chief Grossi called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, wherein cooperation between the agency and Pakistan in several areas — health, agriculture, industry, nuclear medicine and power generation — was discussed.