C-1 sets PAEC record with 427 days of continuous operation

Business Recorder reported that Unit-1 of the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant, known as C-1, ran safely and without interruption for a stretch of 427 days within Cycle 18. It is the longest continuous operating cycle the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) has recorded at a nuclear plant. The unit also posted a World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) Performance Indicator Index score of 100 in each of the first two quarters of 2026.

PAEC credited the result to the expertise and discipline of staff at Chashma Nuclear Power Generating Station (CNPGS), with guidance from PAEC management and strict compliance with nuclear safety standards. The report also cited Senate information presented in September 2026 that put CNPGS power at Rs6.876 per unit, the second-cheapest generation cost after hydropower.

The commission now runs six nuclear plants totalling 3,530 MW, feeding low-cost power into the national grid. PAEC described the record as a contribution to Pakistan's energy security, based on the safe and efficient running of its plants. It also congratulated the whole CNPGS team for its work.