Khushab Nuclear Complex

Khushab Nuclear Complex
Location of Khushab Nuclear Complex in Pakistan
Country	Pakistan
Location	Khushab District, Punjab
Coordinates	32°0′19.56″N 72°11′19.92″E / 32.0054333°N 72.1888667°E / 32.0054333; 72.1888667Coordinates: 32°0′19.56″N 72°11′19.92″E / 32.0054333°N 72.1888667°E / 32.0054333; 72.1888667
Status	Operating
Commission date	Unit 1: 1996, Unit 2: 2010 (unofficial), Unit 3: 2013 (unofficial), Unit 4: 2015 (unofficial)
Operator(s)	Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC)
Nuclear power station
Reactor type	Heavy water reactor/ plutonium production reactor
Reactor supplier	Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC)
Power generation
Units operational	4 (~200MWth)
Units under const.	1 (possible)

Khushab Nuclear Complex is a plutonium production nuclear reactor and heavy water complex situated 30 km south of the town of Jauharabad in Khushab District, Punjab, Pakistan.

The heavy water and natural uranium reactors at Khushab are a central element of Pakistan's program to produce plutonium and tritium for use in compact nuclear warheads. Khushab Nuclear Complex, like that at Kahuta, is not subject to International Atomic Energy Agency inspections.

Four currently operating reactors have capacities variously reported at between 40 MWth to 50 MWth, and as high as 70 MWth. In total, they are estimated to be capable of producing 44 kg of weapons grade plutonium annually. Plutonium production and nuclear reprocessing facilities are being expanded at Khushab, New Labs and Chashma.

Pakistan's first indigenous nuclear reactor was commissioned at Khushab in March 1996. The Khushab Nuclear Complex was conceived and planned by the then chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), Munir Ahmad Khan, who began work on the 50 MWth Khushab-I reactor and heavy water plant in 1986. He appointed nuclear engineer Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood and Dr. N.A. Javed, both from the PAEC, as the Project-Directors for the reactor and the heavy water plant respectively. According to a Pakistani press report this reactor began operating in early 1998.