ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit-1 (C-1) has set a new national record by operating safely and continuously for 427 days during its 18th operating cycle, marking the longest uninterrupted operating cycle achieved by a nuclear power plant in Pakistan.
The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), which operates the country’s fleet of six nuclear power plants, said C-1 had completed the record operating period without interruption while maintaining strong international performance indicators.
The 325-megawatt (MW) C-1 achieved a World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) Performance Indicator Index score of 100 during each of the first two quarters of 2026, placing the unit among the leading nuclear power plants globally in terms of operational performance, reliability and safety, according to the PAEC.
The commission described the achievement as a reflection of the technical expertise, discipline and teamwork of the engineers, scientists and other personnel working at the Chashma Nuclear Power Generating Station (CNPGS).
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It said the accomplishment was also supported by the continued guidance of PAEC management and strict adherence to established nuclear safety standards.
The record operating cycle underscores the plant’s sustained operational reliability and the ability of its technical teams to maintain uninterrupted generation while meeting international performance and safety benchmarks.
The PAEC operates six nuclear power plants in Pakistan, with the Chashma Nuclear Power Generating Station forming a major part of the country’s nuclear power generation capacity.
The record comes as nuclear power continues to play a significant role in Pakistan’s electricity mix. According to PAEC, the country’s six operational nuclear power plants have a combined capacity of 3,530MW and supplied 23.6 billion units of electricity to the national grid in 2025, accounting for about 18.5 per cent of the NTDC system’s total generation.
Four of these plants – C-1, C-2, C-3 and C-4 – are located at the Chashma Nuclear Power Generating Station, making the site a major centre of Pakistan’s nuclear power generation.
