PNRA regulates all civilian nuclear installations, nuclear safety class equipment manufacturers and nuclear service providers in the country under the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority Ordinance, 2001. Nuclear installations in Pakistan include Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs), Research Reactors (RRs), Molybdenum Production Facility (MPF), Pre-disposal Radioactive Waste Management Facility (PRWMF) and Spent Nuclear Fuel Dry Storage Facility.. One Nuclear power plant has been issued decommissioning license. Furthermore, three manufacturers of nuclear safety related structures & nuclear safety class equipment and three designers are also licensed by PNRA. A summary of these is presented in the tables below:
Table-1: Nuclear Installations
| S.No | Installation | Status | Type | Capacity | Start Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karachi Nuclear Power Plant Unit-1 (K-1) | De commissioning | Pressurized heavy water reactor | 137 MWe | 2022 |
| 2 | Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit-1 (C-1) | In operation | Pressurized light water reactor | 325 MWe | 2000 |
| 3 | Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit-2 (C-2) | In operation | Pressurized light water reactor | 340 MWe | 2011 |
| 4 | Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit-3 (C-3) | In operation | Pressurized light water reactor | 340 MWe | 2016 |
| 5 | Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit-4 (C-4) | In operation | Pressurized light water reactor | 340 MWe | 2017 |
| 6 | Karachi Nuclear Power Plant Unit-2 (K-2) | In operation | Pressurized light water reactor | ~1100 MWe | 2022 |
| 7 | Karachi Nuclear Power Plant Unit-3 (K-3) | In operation | Pressurized light water reactor | ~1100 MWe | 2022 |
| 8 | Pakistan Research Reactor–1 (PARR-1) | In operation | Swimming Pool Type Reactor | 10 MWt | 1965 |
| 9 | Pakistan Research Reactor–2 (PARR-2) | In operation | Tank-in-Pool Type Reactor | 30 KWt | 1991 |
| 10 | Molybdenum Production Facility (MPF) | In operation | Isotope Production | 100 Ci per batch | 2014 |
| 11 | PINSTECH Pre-disposal Radioactive Waste Management Facility (PPRWMF) | In operation | Pre-disposal in trenches and pads | N/A | Before inception of PNRA. Licensed in 2016 |
| 12 | KANUPP Spent Nuclear Fuel Dry Storage Facility (KSNFDS) | In operation | Spent Fuel Storage in Certified Casks | 2 Buildings (168 Cask each) | 2019 |
| 13 | CNPGS Spent Nuclear Fuel Dry Storage Facility (PDS) | Under construction | Spent Fuel Storage in Certified Casks | 3 Buildings (120+132+132 Casks) | 2019 |
Table-2: Designers Manufacturers and Service Providers
| S.No | Organization | Scope | Issuance of license / Authorization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heavy Mechanical Complex-3 (HMC-3) | Authorized as Nuclear safety class equipment manufacturer | 2005 |
| 2 | Novel Engineering Works (NEW-2) | Authorized as Nuclear safety class equipment manufacturer | 2018 |
| 3 | National Centre for Non-Destructive Testing (NCNDT) | Authorized to perform Non-Destructive Examination at NPPs | 2015 |
| 4 | Works and Services Organization (WASO) | Authorized as Designer of Safety Class structure | 2021 |
| 5 | Heavy Mechanical Complex-3 (HMC-3) | Authorized as Designer of Safety Class mechanical equipment | 2021 |
| 6 | Instrumentation Control and computer complex (ICCC) | Authorized as Designer of Analogue Safety I&C Systems of Research Reactors | 2021 |
| 7 | Instrumentation Control and computer complex (ICCC) | Authorized as manufacturer of safety class I&C equipment for research reactors (except sensors/detectors, actuator and cables). | 2022 |
The PNRA regulatory processes ensure that the nuclear installations strictly comply with PNRA regulations and the conditions attached to the license throughout their life-time i.e. from siting to decommissioning and until the site is removed from regulatory control. The authorizations and licenses issued during various stages of nuclear installations include site registration, construction license, permission for commissioning, permission to introduce nuclear material into the installation, operating license, decommissioning license and removal of the site from regulatory control. In addition, the licensees are required to get permission from PNRA to make the reactor critical after every refueling outage. All authorizations and licenses are issued by PNRA after comprehensive review & assessment of licensing submissions and verification that all regulatory requirements are fulfilled.
PNRA also awards licenses to the operating personnel responsible to operate the nuclear power plants and research reactors. Under the obligations of PNRA regulations, no nuclear installation in the country can be operated unless it is staffed with the adequate number of licensed operating personnel.
In order to ensure that the licensees maintain an acceptable level of safety, PNRA conducts regulatory inspections (planned as well as reactive) of nuclear installations to verify compliance of PNRA regulations and other regulatory requirements. The inspections are performed by PNRA authorized inspectors as per approved inspection plan. The results of the inspections are documented in the form of inspection reports and form the basis for any subsequent enforcement actions.