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Newsletter of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission

September-October,2002 Back to Main

Chairman PAEC addresses 46th Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference Pakistan seeks IAEA cooperation to build more nuclear power plants There is a close relationship between peace, economic growth and technology. While deliberating upon relationship between technology and economic growth, the importance of energy can hardly be overemphasized. Pakistan's limited hydro and fossil fuel resources are not sufficient to cater for an ever increasing demand of energy. The nuclear option in our national energy strategy has taken a firm footing. This was stated by Mr. Parvez Butt, while addressing as the leader of the delegation from Pakistan to the 46th Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference, held at Vienna, Austria, from 16- 20 September, 2002. Excerpts from his address: "We are encouraged by the recent positive shift in attitude towards nuclear energy at the international level. The Agency's annual report for the year 2001 predicts even better prospects for nuclear power. We, in Pakistan, want to build more safeguarded nuclear power plants and seek the cooperation and assistance of the member states of IAEA. The construction and operation of nuclear power plant not only has direct economic advantage but creates thousands of job opportunities", he said. Pakistan fully supports the importance of International Project on Innovative Nuclear Re- actors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO) and the need for accelerating the activities in this regard. Pakistan is actively participating in IAEA's nuclear desalination project and working on the establishment of a demonstration nuclear desalination facility at our Karachi Nuclear Power Plant with the help of IAEA. Pakistan is an active adherent to the International Nuclear Safety Convention The recent review conference held in Vienna appreciated the safety record of Pakistan. Our active membership of WANO and CANDU Owners Group has also helped us enhance our safety There is a close relationship between peace, economic growth and technology. Tile importance of energy can hardly be overemphasized. Pakistan's limited hydro and fossil fuel resources are not sufficient to cater for an ever-increasing demand of energy. Tile nuclear option in our national energy strategy has taken a firm footing. Encouraged by the recent positive shift in attitude towards nuclear energy at the international level, Pakistan wants to build more safeguarded NPPs and seek the cooperation and assistance of IAEA. The construction and operation of NPP not only has direct economic advantage but creates thousands of job opportunities as well. related capabilities. We give top priority to the strengthening of safety culture in all our nuclear establishments. Sub- sequent to the setting up of an independent Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA), that reports directly to the head of the government, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission has further strengthened its own Directorate of Safety, that addresses issues of nuclear safety and radiation protection and operates the nuclear emergency response coordination center. We look forward to greater cooperation of the advanced countries in terms of unhindered availability of technology in keeping with the spirit of the Nuclear Safety Convention. Barriers and embargoes especially on safeguarded facilities are counter productive. "We must not forget that a nuclear accident anywhere is a nuclear accident everywhere" Recalling the catastrophic and tragic events of September the eleventh that took place around this time last year, he .said Pakistan joined hands with the international community and the IAEA right from the , outset, and established fail-safe and robust physical protection measures that remain under constant review. "We are pleased that the Agency also took prompt action to meet the new challenges. We note that action is also being taken by each and every country to safeguard not only its own interests but of the region and the world at large. We fully recognize and appreciate the important role that the IAEA has to play in the coming years in this context. In our view, this role has to be further developed and should encourage, rather than hinder, the promotional and developmental activities of the Agency. We will continue to support the IAEA and offer our contribution, in kind, to the Agency's programme". "As we grapple with the issues of security and safety, we are at the same time reminded of the indispensability of promoting a more egalitarian society. Whatever we do must be complementary means to achieve greater safety and security of nuclear materials. This conviction has led us to work for the strengthening of the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials, in cooperation with the international community. Referring to the the difficulties the Agency has been facing in implementing its mandated activities due to budgetary constraints,and the various means Agency has been adopting to overcome these financial difficulties, he said this trend certainly hinders the progress of the Agency's work. "Pakistan, despite its economic difficulties, has always paid its dues in full in a timely manner. We would encourage all those Member States who have not yet paid their contributions to do so as early as possible. Chairman PAEC briefly informed the General Conference of the progress made by PAEC during the last year. "Pakistan follows a broad and liberal policy towards basic and applied research. Our main research center, PINSTECH, has been declared as the Regional Resource Unit by the IAEA. This institute is actively engaged in research, and is offering services and specialised training programme" "Technological and economic development is ultimately dependent upon the build-up of a strong scientific infrastructure. It was on Pakistan's initiative that UN declared the 10th of November as 'World Science Day for Peace and Development'. He called upon the Member States to celebrate the Day emphasizing the importance of unhindered and technological knowledge throughout the globe. During the year 2002, the two nuclear power plants namely Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP) and Chashma Nuclear Power Plant (CHASNUPP) operated safely. KANUPP operated with an availability factor of around 80% while CHASNUPP satisfactorily completed the first two years of its operation. The plant will soon see its first refueling outage. The P AEC has so far released 41 varieties of high-yielding and disease-resistant crop varieties with a measurable impact on our economy. For the control of salinity, methods have been developed which are now being introduced to 10 developing countries, under the auspices of the IAEA. We have also prepared a project for the restoration of 25,000 acres of wasteland in the four provinces of the country . PAEC is using nuclear and other advanced techniques in health 'care and its 13 centers throughout the country provide nuclear medicine, radiotherapy and related facilities to more than 300,000 patients every year. Work on five new nuclear medical centers has also been initiated. He expressed deep sense of appreciation and gratitude for the Director General, Deputy Directors General, and their staff for cooperation and valuable assistance to Pakistan.

Joint PAEC-IAEA/RCA/UNDP Executive Management Seminar on 'Environment and Health' Scientists and media can play an effective role in creating public awareness on health hazards and environmental degradation. This was stated by Minister for Science and Technology, Prof. Dr. Ata-ur- Rahman while inaugurating the three-day Joint PAEC- IAEA/RCA/UNDP Executive Management Seminar on "Environment and Health", at Islamabad from 1-3 October, 2002. The Seminar, attended by about 120 scientists and professionals, was organized by PAEC, as one of the activities conducted under joint PAEC-UNDP/RCA/IAEA project: "Isotopic and Related Techniques to Assess Air Pollution". Warning about health hazards of pollution, the Federal Minister said that sub-standard food products and unhealthy environmental conditions are the main reasons for cancer and other deadly diseases in the poor countries. The industrial effluents are equally big sources of diseases caused by human- induced conditions. Tons of solid waste are the breeding grounds for multitude of ailments faced by the society and as such these areas need our immediate attention. Hepatitis B and resurgence of TB are the menaces coming out of poor environment and unhygienic foods. Talking about the neglect and non- seriousness in health related products and facilities offered by various private agencies, I he said that a recent study by HEJ Institute, I Karachi revealed that 15 bottles of well reputed mineral water companies carried ingredients different from those shown on the I label. He said that legal process is very slow I and leads to justice denied, hence, we will try to control this by public awareness and publishing the results in the media. He also made a reference to scientific environment, and prevailing frustration and lamented upon the cumbersome bureaucratic C set-up dealing with science and technology. Enumerating various steps the government C had taken for the promotion of basic and C applied sciences, he said the budget of Ministry was increased manifold and endowments have been provided to engineering universities of the country and similar endowments will be provided to agricultural universities as well. "We are concentrating on the a quality of higher education and production of d 1,000 Ph.Ds is our immediate aim", he said. Dr. Masud Ahmad, Member (Physical Sciences), PAEC, in his welcome address, said , that technology has emerged as one of the a most powerful driving forces of the present ~ times that greatly contributed to the shaping of the world and affects all aspects of life. P However, the technology has negative fallout CI also like disruption of ecological equilibrium, creation of pollution, noise, waste, and many psychological distresses. He emphasized that the logical and realistic approach is to adopt a suitably-guided technological development process, which enhances the benefits and abates the undesirable effects. He referred to the United Nations Summit on Sustainable Development, at Johannesburg, that reiterated support for the Kyoto Declaration on greenhouse gases. He said that water and soil are a sacred trust which need to be protected from industrial effluents, municipal wastes, vehicular emissions and callous agricultural practices. In the domain of environmental sciences, Dr. Masud said PAEC has evolved an elaborate programme for research and development, including multi-facet monitoring of air, water, solids for quality assessment, and appraisal of toxicity and radioactivity for radiological surveillance. Another area of research and development relates to handling and safe disposal of industrial/radiological waste. "We also carry out study of soil erosion and sediment accumulation in rivers and water reservoirs, surveillance against failure of dam reservoirs and monitoring surface and underground water and marine pollution." In the agriculture sector PAEC has to its credit the development of many disease and pest resistant, high yield seeds of major crops. He said these have enhanced food and cash crops output in an environmentally friendly fashion, with reduced reliance on pesticides and fertilizers. PAEC has also taken lead in utilizing its specific technological capabilities in contributing to the health care of the nation. PAEC is running thirteen nuclear medical centers in major cities of all provinces, he added. Talking about nuclear energy, Dr. Masud said Pakistan will continue its pursuit of developing nuclear power and the PAEC, in keeping with the international trend, plans to construct two more nuclear power plants at Chashma and Karachi in the years to come. He said that nuclear power is environmentally friendly because of absence of harmful emissions, and accounts for 16 per cent of the world's electricity generation He saw signs of resurgence of nuclear power at international level as it avoids more than 1.9 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the global energy production that would otherwise be generated through fossil fuels. Dr. Abdul Ghaffar, Director General, Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH), expressed thanks to the participants and sponsors of the seminar. He said PINSTECH has the honour to be Regional Resource Unit for IAEA and in this capacity will continue to undertake various scientific activities. Multiple aspects of environmental pollution were the subjects of the deliberations of the Seminar and scientific programme consisted of discussions on Public Health, Ecological Perspectives of Environmental Pollution, Suspended Air Particulate Matter, Statistical and Analytical Approaches to Data Interpretation, Solid Waste Situation in Pakistan, Radiation and Environment, Water Quality, Environmental Modeling and Impact Assessment, and Environmental Issues and Policies in Pakistan. Reputed international and national experts from all the provinces of Pakistan addressed the audience, representing 5 International organizations, 7 educational institutions, 14 government and non- governmental organizations, including leading research organizations such as EPA, SUPARCO, PCRWR, PCSIR and various PAEC establishments. Consultation among a representative group of delegates to the Seminar formulated various points for future course of action. It was recommended that a directory of groups of scientists with specified environmental interests may be compiled. Co-ordination between the institutes working on environmental pollution problems may be encouraged and formation of Advisory Groups (with the help of Ministry of Environment) in different aspects of environmental pollution, under one Central Advisory Board comprising of eminent scientists, may be given special consideration. It was recommended that Analytical Inter-comparison Studies between selected groups of laboratories should be conducted to establish the Quality Control and Quality - Assurance of the data produced. On the basis of performance, laboratories should be accredited as National Resource Unit and a Central Standards Laboratory may be created to prepare broad spectrum of Reference Standards Materials. Need for communication to public at large for awareness and implementation of already approved laws and regulations on environmental pollution such as National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) was stressed. It was also recommended that no new industry should be allowed in Islamabad and among the present functioning industrial units, those generating toxic pollutants may be shifted outside. The fog problems in many cities of Pakistan during winter were attributed to environmental pollution and meteorological conditions and should be studied with collaborative efforts so that suitable remedies could be found.

R&D on Human Nutrition at NIFA There is compelling evidence that Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) is wide spread among all Pakistani population and reaches high prevalence level. Particularly, infants, pre- school children and women of reproductive age are the most vulnerable groups. The adverse effects of Iron Deficiency Anemia on children's and women's health, development and survival are tremendous. Among the various intervention strategies aiming to prevent iron deficiency or to reduce severity, iron fortification seems to hold the best promise. Wheat flour is considered as the most suitable choice for iron fortification by government agencies. However, before recommending wheat flour (Atta) as the best choice for iron fortification, the Nutrition Section (NS) of the Planning and Development Division, is planning a project with the financial collaboration of Micronutrient Initiative (MI) Canada, to test the feasibility and efficacy of iron fortification on some selected communities. Nutrition Section of Nuclear Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Peshawar, alongwith two other collaborating research institutes, PINSTECH and Agriculture University, Faisalabad, has been approached to undertake R&D to test the stability and acceptability of iron fortification compound in wheat flour during storage and usual baking practices and evaluate the sensory and acceptability values of fortified flour among different segments of the population. NIFA has been given the additional assignment to undertake the community-based trial to test the efficacy of iron fortificant in the improvement of iron nutritional status in a volunteer population sample, "Nutrition is a dynamic discipline in this era of technological developments and investment on the R&D in this sector pays back in terms of improved health, work output, enhanced productivity and overall betterment in the performance of various segments of society", This was stated by Dr, W.A, Coward, IAEA Expert, from Human Nutrition Research Center, Cambridge, UK, during his visit to NIFA, Peshawar, recently. Dr, M. Jamil Qureshi briefed the visitors about the work on national programme of iron fortification of wheat flours at NIFA. Dr, Coward paid rich tributes to Nutrition Section of NIFA for their R&D endeavours and said that isotopic techniques are also very effective in evaluating human nutritional status and the nutritional quality of foods within the context of such national developmental programmes. These techniques are now considered to be the best methods for measuring the uptake and bioavailability of many important vitamins and minerals, They are thus well suited for determining the success of food supplementation programmes and other interventions aimed at combating the many forms of malnutrition, Dr. Coward appreciated the role of PAEC in uplifting the socio-economic sectors of Pakistan apart from its laudable contribution in the realms of nuclear power

Human Resource Development a priority of PAEC Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission is engaged in the development of trained and quality human resource for socio-economic uplift of the country. This was stated by Chairman, PAEC, Mr. Parvez Butt while welcoming new batch of Masters Degree programme and Bachelor of Computer and Information System students, at Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS) on October 09, 2002. He said PAEC has succeeded on the strength of its work force and continues to cultivate its capability and capacity commensurate with current times. The admission in PlEAS is purely on merit, and the educational programme is based on strict academic discipline with stringent qualifying criteria for passing out, he said. The alumnae of this institute are now occupying leadership positions in various establishments of PAEC and ot11er strategic organizations of the country, he added. Mentioning the areas in which the students were likely to be inducted after completion of studies, he gave a resume of PAEC undertakings and said that PAEC is operating four agriculture centers which have so far developed 41 high yield pest-resistant crop varieties and is offering diagnostic and treatment services to nearly 300,000 patients annually for cancer related diseases through its 13 medical centers across the country. PAEC is supporting the local industry by providing technology based services in consultancy, manufacturing of high-tech equipment, welding techniques and non-destructive testing. Our basic and applied research efforts are again meant for industrial problem solving. Nuclear energy is another area where PAEC continues to concentrate and aims at progressively higher levels of indigenization in the upcoming plants, he said. He advised the students to aim for excellence and specialization as today's world demands nothing less than that. He said country needs manpower which should be capable of adding value through technology. Dr Abdullah Sadiq, Rector, PlEAS presented the salient features of the admission process and explained that a record 1600 applications were received and after con- ducting countrywide written tests and sub- sequent interviews, 176 were selected for Masters Degree Programme out of which 14 joined the discipline of Medical Physics, 14 Materials Engineering, 40 Nuclear Engineering, 19 Nuclear Medicine, 26 Process Engineering, 42 Systems Engineering and 21 joined IT. So far, in different disciplines, 29 students have been enrolled for Ph.D. In addition, 46 students joined the undergraduate programme of BCIS.

Indigenisation and trained manpower giving confidence and competitive edge PAEC plans to construct two more nuclear power plants Pakistan is planning to install two more nuclear power plants at Karachi and Chashma by the year 2015 to meet the increasing electricity demand of the country in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner. After the installation of these power plants, around 10 per cent electricity requirements of the country would be fulfilled by the nuclear means. This was stated by Chairman, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, Mr. Parvez Butt, while talking to a group of newsmen at Chashma Nuclear Power Plant (CHASNUPP). The second unit at Chashma, i.e., CHASNUPP-2 will produce 300 Megawatt electricity while KANUPP-2 at Karachi will produce 600 MW electricity. In this connection, a decision in principal has been taken by the government and the government of China has also expressed willingness for this project He said the CHASNUPP was in a position to cover its project cost, operational expenses and earn some profit as the government allowed it last month, to sell electricity to WAPDA at the rate of Rs 2.25 per unit as against Rs. 1.75 per unit previously. The new tariff will enable PAEC to return the government investment in due course of time.

Development of nuclear industry, apart from providing security and stability of supply, also augurs well for the industrialisation of country because nuclear's high-tech prevalence promises ready- made solutions to the conventional industry and resort to expensive foreign technical assistance is substituted locally. Nuclear Power Plants epitomize mastering of high technology and their operations are economical in countries having adequate indigenous resources in fuel production, installation know-how and running capabilities. Pakistan is ready to embrace this nuclear option as we have a confident human resource capable of installing and operation of such power houses.

The Chairman said that nuclear option was more environmentally friendly than the use of fossil fuel which was causing global warning. Nuclear power is the only candidate, in the wake of global warming caused by fossil fuel power generation, to shoulder the responsibilities of providing the electricity to six billion inhabitants of the globe. In order to meet the commitments to Kyoto Protocol for reducing greenhouse gases emissions for preventing global warming, the fossil fuel being the main reason of green house gases, will not be popular choice even among the countries having their own oil reserves. The tidal, solar, wind, and fuel cell options are environmentally promising but they can provide only a very limited part of the energy demand and not on large commercial scale", he maintained Over the years, Pakistan has acquired confidence in various segments of the nuclear technology and is now fully poised to go in a big way for the production of nuclear electricity which is environmentally friendly, provides security of supplies, is cost competitive, abundantly available and is a symbol of self- reliance in a fiercely competitive world order. A major technological breakthrough was achieved 30 years ago when Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP) started supplying electricity to the city of Karachi. KANUPP is a 137 Mwe Pressurized Heavy Water Re- actor (PHWR). In view of its energy needs, Pakistan was interested in constructing more nuclear power plants. However, due to unfavourable international environment, this could not materialize until recently, when CHASNUPP became a reality. Pakistan needs nuclear energy as a stabilising factor in the energy mix for supporting the predominant hydel power which is season- dependent and is at its lowest during winter dry seasons. He quoted a study stating that by the end of 2020, the electricity requirements of the country will be 45,000 MW. Presently, Pakistan has a generating capacity of 18,000 MW. To meet the future gap, the study suggests that 10,000 MW would be met through hydel generation and another 10,000 through thermal. The nuclear capability provides an excellent option to fill the shortage of 7000 MW. Currently, the two NPPs are fulfilling 3 percent of the total energy requirements of the country and with the installation of two more units, this contribution will be nearing to about 10 percent of the current demand. Mr. Parvez Butt was of the view that development of nuclear industry apart from providing security and stability of supply also augurs well for the industrialisation of country because nuclear's high-tech prevalence promises ready-made solutions to the conventional industry and resort to expensive foreign technical assistance is substituted locally. NPPs epitomize mastering of high technology and their operation is economical in countries having adequate indigenous resources in fuel production, installation know-how and operating capabilities. He said Pakistan's enhanced power needs, due to upcoming planned industrialization and increase in population coupled with high standard of living, cannot be met from hydel and coal alone despite harnessing their full potential. Pakistan will have to go for nuclear option in a big way. Pakistan is ready to embrace this nuclear option as we have the distinction of being the only country in the Muslim world which is operating two nuclear power plants and have a confident human resource capable of installing and operation of such power houses," he said. About the fuel fabrication, the Chairman said that with the addition of two more plants, Pakistan would be in a position to economically prepare its own nuclear fuel for energy generation. Presently the fuel for the Chasnupp was being imported from China while for Kanupp, the fuel was indigenously prepared. "We have now reached a stage of indigenization where a country can claim to go nuclear with confidence and competitive edge," the Chairman observed.

First Refueling Outage at Chashma Nuclear Power Plant The Chashma Nuclear Power Plant (Chasnupp) was shut down on 30 September, 2002, for a planned outage of 81 days for refueling, maintenance and inspection, Chasnupp has produced 3,57 billion kilowatt-hours electricity since its connection to the national grid on June 13, 2000. The project went into commercial operation on September 25,2000. The plant is still in its early years of operations and has worked well at comparable world standards with a capacity factor between 64 to 70 % which is quite satisfactory for newly commissioned NPPs. All nuclear power plants are periodically shut down for maintenance and this shut down period is different for different families of power plants. The refueling outage provides a good opportunity for maintenance, safety tests, inspections and necessary improvements. The first refueling outage (RFO), is always much longer because most of the equipment needs overhaul and inspection after first prolonged operation. The construction of 300 Mwe CHASNUPP, a Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR), the second nuclear power plant in Pakistan, was started in 1992 near Chashma Barrage on the left bank of river Indus, south of Mianwali city. Designed, manufactured and constructed by the Chinese, the technology is based on the experience gained from the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant which started operation in Dec. 1991. Pakistan and China have been cooperating in peaceful uses of nuclear power since 1986. The decision to build a nuclear power plant was taken in 1989 when the Prime Ministers of the two countries agreed in principle and the contract was signed on December 31,1991. CHASNUPP Technical data Milestones • Gross electric power output 325 MWe • Signing of Contract 31 Dec 1991 • Net electric power output 300 MWe • Contract Validation 25 Feb. 1992 • Thermal power 9986 MWt • Ground Breaking 26 Dec 1992 • Number of loops 2 • Construction Permit 03 July, 1993 • System working pressure 15.2 Mpa • First Concrete Pour 01 Aug. 1993 • RPV Maximum overall dia 5596mm • Fuel loading Permit 18 Nov 1999 • RPV Maximum overall height 10705mm • First Fuel loading 22 Nov 1999 • Fuel enrichment U02 2.4% -3% • First Criticality 03 May 2000 • Turbine Speed 3000rpm • Connection to Grid 13 June 2000 • Steam pressure(operating.inlet) 534 MPa • Commercial Operation 15 Sep. 2000 • Steam temperature 268.1 C • Provisional Acceptance 25 Sep 2000 • Generator rating 3647 MVA • Formal Inauguration 29 Mar 2001 • Generator voltage 20KV • First Planned Outage 30 Sep 2002

The formal construction of the plant started: on August 01, 1993 when first concrete was poured. After completion of civil works in 1996, major plant equipment such -as reactor C pressure vessel, turbine generator, steam generator, etc., were installed during 1996-97. After first fuel loading on 22 November, 999, a comprehensive testing was carried out at various levels. The plant was accepted by PAEC on Sept. 25, 2000 after specified performance tests were successfully completed. This is the first South-South cooperation in the area of nuclear power. CHASNUPP is being operated by Pakistani staff, thoroughly trained in the basics of nuclear power as well as provided on the-job training in Pakistan and in China during the period when plant was in the construction phase. The staff took active part In the Installation and commissioning activities at the plant and worked side by side with their Chinese counterparts. The operating staff also received comprehensive training on the Full n Scope Training Simulator and qualified for s the license issued by the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority before assuming responsibility in the plant. The plant is under the technical purview of IAEA and its safety records are among the f: top plants of the world. Before the plant was t put into operation, CHASNUPP was subjected to a comprehensive pre- operation audit by IAEA experts covering areas such as operation, maintenance, training, etc., including plant management. The site has been thoroughly investigated in accordance with international standards by domestic as well as IAEA experts who found the site s suitable for construction of NPP. Safety and quality are the most important considerations in the design and construction of CHASNUPP. Design of the plant is in accordance with the latest codes and standards and was subjected to through reviews by national and international experts. The quality was assured by a comprehensive program developed and practiced by PAEC. Safety of the plant was further ensured by carrying out the Pre-Service Inspection of I important plant equipment and buildings. Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority played an important role in the assurance of safety and carried out its own independent reviews and maintained surveillance during all phases of construction, equipment manufacturing, installation and commissioning. In order to provide trained manpower to the plant, a full-fledge training center has been established. The training center is also equipped with a Full Scope Training Simulator which was designed and built by a PAEC establishment. Transfer of technology is an important element of the project. PAEC engineers and scientists have acquired specialized training and know-how in the field of nuclear power Moreover, they have been actively involved in plant design, construction, manufacturing and quality assurance. This has proved to be beneficial and provided necessary expertise to the PAEC for greater participation in the future nuclear power plants and for their active role in the indigenisation programme of PAEC. PAEC has undertaken substantial amount of civil works of the project, besides local manufacture of a large number of mechanical equipment. This has given PAEC a measure of confidence for taking up assignments of greater involvement and progressively working towards achieving the goal of self- reliance in the construction of nuclear power plants.

PINSTECH wins Islamic Development Bank Science Prize Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH), the premier R&D institute of PAEC, has been honoured with Islamic Development Bank Prize for Science and Technology for outstanding contribution to the advancements in nuclear technology. Initiated by COMSTECH with the cooperation of Islamic Development Bank, the award carries a cash prize of US $ 100,000. The coveted prize was received by Dr. Abdul Ghaffar, Director General, PINSTECH at a ceremony held on 23 October, 2002 at Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Speaking on this occasion, IDB President H.E. Dr. Ahmad Muhammad Ali said that the objective of establishing this prize is the need for scientific and technological advancement to meet the challenges faced by Ummah. These awards aim j at inducing productivity and innovation in national and regional economies of OIC member countries through strengthening scientific' knowledge and research to help contribute to joint efforts of the governments, private sector and S&T community. In his acceptance. speech, Dr. Ghaffar appreciated the efforts of IDB for encouraging and patronising the noble cause of scientific and technological advancement in the Muslim World. PINSTECH can proudly claim to have the most advanced operational research facilities with wide ranging sophisticated equipment and highly qualified and skilled scientists and engineers in various fields. The major objectives envisaged by PAEC in the establishment of this Institute are .Keeping pace with the ever-expanding frontiers of knowledge in the nuclear field through research that meets international norms and standards. .Serving at the cutting edge of the PAEC's technological development for peaceful applications of nuclear energy. .Producing radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals for catering to the needs of nuclear medical centers, industry and research establishments Undertaking limited production of sophisticated equipment and special nuclear materials. .Promoting applications of radiation and isotope technology in various scientific and technological disciplines to support national programs Extending hi-tech support in the form of technical services to industry and other organisations. .Providing appropriately trained manpower through training to the exacting and demanding standards of nuclear sciences. .Working on important non-nuclear fields which a are crucial for the development of science and a technology in the country. As nuclear technology is essentially inter-disciplinary, the R&D efforts at PINSTECH are focused on nuclear technology and the allied fields of physical and chemical sciences through well defined and goal oriented projects, The major thrust of the programme is geared towards applications in the peaceful uses of atomic energy, In order to keep the programme well balanced and tuned to the needs of the future, basic research is also carried out. Though much of facilities are dedicated to nuclear science and technology, PINSTECH has always cooperated with, and extended the benefits of its sophisticated technical facilities to other organizations and research and educational institutions. PINSTECH has rendered technical support to industry, armed forces, research institutes, medical and agricultural centers in such areas as radiation and isotope applications, radiation monitoring, mechanical testing and failure analysis, high precision chemical analysis, water resources research, lasers, electronics and computers, etc. The spin-offs of high-tech expertise from this Institute is playing an essential role in the socio-economic development in the country. Collaboration has also been extended to different organisations and advanced laboratories in Europe, USA and Canada, IAEA and various international agencies. PINSTECH is offering services and specialized training under the IAEA- TC programme, It has the honour of being declared as the Regional Resource Center. It is noteworthy that PINSTECH is a winner of various regional and international evaluations carried out on the basis of research facilities and output, PINSTECH has to its credit about 1100 research publications in scientific journals of international repute.

PAEC Scientists Honured Mr. Muhammad Arif Niaz, Chief Scientific Officer, has been honoured by Government of Pakistan with the President's Award for Pride of Performance ,for his meritorious services in the field of scientific research and development work of national importance. The award was announced on the Independence Day-2002. Mr. Niaz obtained M.Sc. in Physics from Quaid-i-Azam University and M. Sc in Nu- clear Engineering from Center for Nuclear Studies (CNS) in 1978. He joined Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission in 1979 and was involved in research work of national importance. He also worked as a World laboratory Fellow at European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland from April 1989 to November 1992 and conducted research in the field of High Energy Physics (HEP) and adopted a number of computer codes for CERN environments. Author of 72 research papers on Physics in various journals of international repute, he has continued research in High Energy Physics with an active involvement in the research work of national importance. [In the July-August 2002 issue of PakAtom, the name of Mr. Arif Niaz was inadvertently not included in the list of PAEC scientists honoured with civil awards on Independence Day-2002. -Ed.] Ms. Ismat Fatima, Principal Scientific Officer, Nuclear Chemistry Division, PINSTECH, Islamabad, has been declared successful for the award of degree of the Doctor of Philosophy in the subject of Nuclear Chemistry, after approval of her thesis entitled "Diversity of Neutron Activation Technique as Analytical Probe in Health Related Studies" by Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, under the su-pervision of Prof. Dr. M. S. Subhani and co-supervision of Dr. Jamshed Hussain Zaidi, CSO, NCD, PINSTECH, Islamabad. The neutron activation technique, applied in a wide variety of disciplines for research and development studies makes it a very versatile probe. To demonstrate a few aspects of its diversity, its applications were investigated as, a) An analytical tool in human health-related studies, and, b) An activation tool for application of radionuclides in diagnostics/therapy. The investigations have revealed that a number of trace elements are of vital importance in different biological processes occurring in human system through various mechanisms. This data will not only be helpful in establishing the base-line values but also useful in determining the role of these elements in curing disorders consuming the [ individual herbs and compound herbal medicines. It will be helpful in synthesizing new ayurvedic drugs with various combinations by the traditional practitioners. These analyses will also bring new information for the pharmacological studies. Dr. Ismat Fatima joined PAEC as Scientific Officer in 1982 after obtaining M.Phil. from Quaid-i-Azam University. She was promoted as Principal Scientific Officer in 1995. Author of over thirty international publications in reputed journals, Dr. Ismat Fatima has outstanding contributions towards R&D programme of Analytical Chemistry Group at PINSTECH. She has actively participated in IAEA projects. Ms. Shahida Waheed, Principal Scientific Officer, Nuclear Chemistry Division, PINSTECH. Islamabad, has been declared successful for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the subject of Nuclear Chemistry, after approval of her thesis entitied "Application of Neutron Activation Analysis for the Quality Assurance of Human Health" by Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. The research work was conducted under the supervision of Prof. Dr. M. Saleem and co-supervised by Dr. Jamshed Hussain Zaidi, CSO, NCD, PINSTECH, Islamabad. This study was carried out keeping in view the environmental pollution scenario and the health deterioration problems of public at large. The study encompasses three aspects; a) Complete knowledge of the elemental contents of different types of coal as a major pollution source, b) The estimation of the elemental contents of the individual food- stuffs and mixed human diet for the evaluation of the adequacy and safety of the dietary articles, and, c) Nuclear data measurement studies for the production and quality assurance of radionuclides for medical application in a nuclear reactor. Dr. Shahida Waheed joined PAEC as Scien- tific Officer in 1982 after obtaining M.Phil. from Quaid-i- Azam University. She was promoted as PSO in 1996. Author of thirty two international publications in reputed journals, Dr. Shahida Waheed has been contributing in Analytical Chemistry Group since her joining in 1982. She has been actively involved in R&D programmes of PAEC, and projects under IAEA.

News Briefs Dr. Farzana Naqvi, Senior Scientific Officer, Applied Systems Analysis Group (ASAG), PAEC, Islamabad proceeded abroad for Short Term Assignment of three months at IAEA Headquarters, Vienna (Austria) from 8th July, 2002 to assist IAEA for Developing the User's Manual for new Computer Model Message for Evaluation of Sustainable Energy Strategies. Mr. Manzoor Ahmad Chaudhry, Principal Engineer, RIAD, PINSTECH, undertook assignment as an IAEA expert at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 23-27 September, 2002, for task: Isotope Hydrology and Geochemistry for Geothermal Investigation under project: Investigating Environment and Water Re- sources in Geothermal Areas. Mr. Johari Abd. Latif (Malaysia) is undergoing 2 months fellowship at PINSTECH, Islamabad in the field of Ground Water Hydrology from 19 August, 2002. Mr Abdul Karim Ayal Salman (Jordan) paid Scientific Visit at PINSTECH, Islamabad from 26 August, 2002 to 6 September, 2002 in the field of Soil Science, Irrigation and Plant Nutrition.