PAEC Chairman Stresses Climate Vulnerability, Showcases Pakistan’s Nuclear Contributions at IAEA General Conference

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ISLAMABAD, September 16 (APP): Chairman Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), Dr. Raja Ali Raza Anwar, has said that Pakistan, despite contributing minimally to global carbon emissions, remains among the most climate-vulnerable countries and is actively mitigating these impacts through peaceful applications of nuclear technology.

Delivering Pakistan’s National Statement at the Plenary Session of the 69th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Dr. Anwar reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to advancing clean, reliable, and sustainable nuclear energy. He congratulated the newly elected officers of the Conference and welcomed the Republic of Maldives as a new IAEA member.

Highlighting Pakistan’s progress, he informed that the country currently operates six nuclear power plants with a combined capacity of 3,530 MW. In the past year alone, nuclear power contributed 18.3% to the national electricity mix and 34% of low-carbon generation, helping the country avoid nearly 15 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually. He added that a new 1,200 MW nuclear power plant (C-5) is under construction and is expected to become operational by 2030.

Dr. Anwar underlined Pakistan’s 108 reactor-years of safe, secure, and fully safeguarded nuclear operations, while calling for equitable access and unrestricted collaboration in civil nuclear technology, particularly for climate-vulnerable nations. He reaffirmed support for IAEA initiatives including Atom for Net Zero, Rays of Hope, Atoms for Food, ZODIAC, and NUTEC Plastics.

Sharing achievements beyond power generation, the PAEC chief noted that Pakistan operates 20 cancer hospitals serving over 80% of cancer patients nationwide and performing more than one million procedures annually. In agriculture, PAEC’s four research institutes have developed over 150 high-yield, disease-resistant crop varieties, with NIAB — an IAEA Collaborating Center — making breakthroughs in cotton, wheat, rice, and chickpea. Pakistan has also been chosen as one of the first beneficiaries of the IAEA–FAO Atoms for Food initiative.

On water management, he pointed to the use of isotope hydrology for groundwater mapping under the IAEA’s GloWAL network, while in education, PIEAS continues to strengthen nuclear education, offering 20 fully funded international scholarships in nuclear science and five Marie Curie Fellowships for 2025–26.

Dr. Anwar also emphasized Pakistan’s strong nuclear safety and security framework. The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) functions as an independent regulator and has recently licensed the construction of C-5. Pakistan has conducted its first National Radiation Emergency Exercise, hosted the IAEA’s ConvEx-2c, and participated in ConvEx-3. The Pakistan Centre of Excellence in Nuclear Security (PCENS) remains a key hub for capacity building under IAEA arrangements, while Pakistan will host the IAEA IPPAS Mission and Nuclear Security Support Centre meeting in 2026.

Concluding, Dr. Anwar said Pakistan stands ready to deepen its partnership with the IAEA and Member States in promoting peaceful uses of nuclear technology to support sustainable development and address the global challenge of climate change.

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