Washington DC, 27 October 2022 (TDI): The Chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), Raja Ali Raza Anwar, said that Nuclear power has a vital contribution to addressing the challenge of providing access to secure, affordable, and reliable energy in a climate-responsible manner.
He made these remarks during the International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in the 21st Century that is currently underway in Washington DC, United States.
The Conference has been organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in partnership with the International Energy Agency and cooperation with the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. It is being hosted by the Government of the United States of America.
Speaking about Pakistan’s nuclear power program, Chairman Anwar said that Pakistan’s energy needs were projected to grow exponentially in the coming years.
He said reliance on imported fuels was not viable financially and environmentally in the long run. Nuclear power, therefore, was envisaged to be an important element in Pakistan’s energy mix.
He added that as a clean and affordable source of energy, nuclear power held special significance for an energy-deficient country like Pakistan, which was also highly vulnerable to Climate Change and associated natural catastrophes. He stated that nuclear power accounted for almost 13% of the country’s electricity needs at economically competitive rates.
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ambassador Aftab Ahmad Khokher, is also part of Pakistan’s delegation along with Member (Power), Muhammad Saeed ur Rehman, and Member (Engineering), Aslam Umer from PAEC as well as Counselor from Pakistan Embassy in Washington, Batool Kazim.
The delegation is also holding bilateral meetings on the margins of the Conference to explore opportunities for cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear technology under the IAEA auspices.
In these interactions, he highlighted that Pakistan had been running a safe, secure, and fully safeguarded civilian nuclear program for decades and was ready to share its expertise with interested countries.
He underscored that international cooperation and dialogue were of central importance in fostering an enabling environment to unlock the full potential of nuclear power.
Lastly, he also stressed the need for the removal of barriers to equitable and non-discriminatory access to civilian nuclear cooperation for developing countries.
, Raja Ali Raza Anwar, said Nuclear power has vital contribution...Read more){kind=link}