Chashma Power Plant:
Chansnupp will continue to be accident prone
by Dr. S. Chandrasekharan
In a recent paper (paper 290 of 7th August) we had referred
to a possible nuclear accident in the Chinese supplied Chashma nuclear
power station that was formally inaugurated in May 2001 after a trial run
of over one year. The station is said to have been closed down for a few
days. There has been no reference to the accident in the media except for
strong denials from the authorities.
Going by the history of the Chashma power plant which was based on the
design of the earlier Qinshan 1 plant of China in Zhejiang province, China,
it was no surprise that the nuclear plant at Chashma would experience
difficulties and safety hazards.
A Risk report while questioning the capability of China to build its
own reactors said that China cannot build a nuclear power station without
foreign help. It further said that the first plant (Qinshan-1) built by
China experienced a series of technical problems before it started
producing electricity in 1993. One US government expert who tracks China’s
nuclear progress said that the statement of China that the reactor was
made entirely in China was a "lie." The pressure vessel was made
in Japan and the coolant pumps were imported from Germany.
Another Scientist who had visited the plant a few times told the writer
that at the construction stage itself that there were many design and
safety problems and outside experts had to visit Qinshan Plant fourteen times
before the safety hazards could be set right. There were also reports that
the plant was closed down for one year and that a US company,
Westinghouse, was asked to identify and rectify the problem.
It
is claimed by both the Chinese and Pakistan authorities that the Chashma
plant though modelled on Chinese Qinshan, is an improvement and the technology is
based on the "experience gained from their own plant". .. after
protracted research and development programme. But the basic design however is the same
as the original one and will have the same flaws.
After Qinshan-1 Nuclear Power Plant, one would have expected the
Chinese to build more power plants of the same type in their country with
the experience gained. Instead they approached other countries to build additional power
reactors. The second reactor at Qinshan was by Framatome of France and Westinghouse
of USA. A third one was by French, Canadian and Japanese firms.
Canada was
actively assisting in building CANDU type reactors. These would indicate
China’s open admission that it cannot build reactors on its own without
foreign inputs and yet they chose to build the Chashma Plant based on
their indigenous and not so successful Qinshan-1.
Chashma Power Plant: The Chashma power plant project was first
initiated in the 1970s with French assistance. France terminated its
assistance in 1978. Subsequently under American pressure even the reprocessing plant which had been agreed to with IAEA
safeguards by France was also abandoned.
The project was subsequently taken by the China Nuclear Energy Industry
Corporation (CNEIC) as a cooperative project between Pakistan and China.
Work started in August 1993 . The plant went "critical" on 3
May 2000 and connected to the grid of WAPDA on June 13, 2000. The PAEC took over
the plant on September 25, 2000.
The UNI report of January 17 from Islamabad said there was a fire in
the Chashma plant the previous month and that the government ensured that
it was not reported by the Press. The report went on to say. "
Independent nuclear experts in Pakistan have never been at ease about the
design and the location of this plant. This was brought out at a panel
discussion on this plant at the sustainable policy development institute
here last month."
Dr. A.H.Nayyar of the physics department of Quaid-e-Azam university
made two important points on the plant. 1. The plant was located at a
seismic fault and near the earthquake centre. This was reported by a
Columbian University team. 2. China supplied Pakistan a plant with a
faulty design of Qingshan -1 which they themselves could not work and
there were many problems. There was also a report of a major accident in
Qinshan -1 in China.
The problem of Reactor Pressure vessel: Since China had no
experience in building a Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) on its own, the RPV
of the original Qinshan plant was built by the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Japan. For a pressure vessel at Chashma, China approached USA, Japan,
France and Germany for the import of the pressure vessel but due to
American pressure none obliged. The Chinese even approached South Korea
for the vessel. South Korea also declined at that point of time,
as it was
hoping to get into the "nuclear Suppliers Group".
In the first week of April 2001, Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad, Chairman of Pakistan Atomic Energy
Commission and
adviser designate to the CEO (now President) , while speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Power plant
said that Pakistan has planned to establish another nuclear power plant
with hundred percent indigenous expertise based on the experience of the
Chashma plant. It is hoped that he will review his plans and look for
another model other than the original Qinshan 1.
