Annual Report 2003-2004 Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission PAEC Annual Report for the year 2003-2004, prepared as a statutory requirement under the provisions of section 15(b) of PAEC Ordinance 1965, aims to compile a concise description of Commission's activities undertaken and accomplished during this period. While congratulating all the scientists, engineers, technicians, administration and financial personnel on their brilliant performance in their respective fields, the Commission places on record their valuable services with admiration and pride. (Dr. KhwajaTaldram) Secretary Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission Islamabad Highlights 1 Nuclear Power 5 Physical Sciences & Engineering 11 Bio-Sciences 23 Nuclear Minerals 41 Safety 46 Human Resource Development 49 Projects 51 International Relations 53 Finance 55 Publications 57 HIGHLIGHTS NUCLEAR POWER KANUPP was shutdown on Decem- ber 5, 2002 after completion of the nominal design life of 30 years to fulfill regulatory requirements for re- licensing. On completion of the regulatory requirement, PNRA issued a special license to KANUPP for restarting ofthe reactor. KANUPP was restarted on January 22, 2004 at 22:15 hrs with a new lease of life. During the period of January 22, 2004 to June 30, 2004 the plant operated at an average load of about 30 MWe. Gross electricity generated was 78.35 GWh with availability factor and gross capacity factor of 70.52% and 14.49% respectively. The cumulative gross generation since NPD was raised to 10,831.52 GWh. Reactor Power Regulation Console at KANUPP CHASNUPP operated safely and generated a total of 1682 GWh of electrical energy from July 2003 to June 2004 of which 1558 GWh was Complex entered into a Memo- meters for PARR-1. Work for the exported to WAPDA. The total on line randum of Understanding (MOU) for development of nuclear reactor time of the Turbine-Generator was joint technical activities, aimed at control system has been initiated 5569 hours thus raising the on line continued safe operation of KANUPP. including classical control, conven- time of Turbine-Generator to 22953 INUP continued to provide requisite tional state feedback control, optimal hours since connection to grid. The technical support to Chashma control and state feedback assisted average plant capacity and avail- Nuclear Power Plant in In-Core fuel classical control. ability factors were 59.14% and Management, Operational Core 63.40% respectively. analysis and Safety Analysis and Plasma Physics participated in the second Refueling ASAG continued its contribution in Outage (RFO) of CHASNUPP. A theory has been developed to planning of the C-2 project. In this describe the time evolution of non- regard two major activities were: (i) equilibrium incompressible plasma to preparation and submission of the NUCLEAR SCIENCE & understand the mechanism of mag- final PC-1 ofthe project in April 2004. TECHNOLOGY netic field generation taking into After various rounds of negotiations account the dynamics of both elec- with Chinese organizations, plant Reactor Operation trons and ions. The theory has been cost, fuel cost and financial package applied to laser induced plasmas and forthe C-2 project were finalized. The During the period under report the estimate of B-field turns out to be final PC-1 was prepared based on PARR-1 was operated for 550 hours in agreement with the experimental these costs and financial terms, (ii) including 23 continuous operations of observations. preparation ofthe feasibility report of 12 hours duration each at full power. the C-2 Project for the EXIM Bank of 560 capsules containing different Neutron and X-Ray China. The project was approved by samples were irradiated. PARR-2 the ECNEC in July 2004. was operated for 143 hours irradi- Diffraction ating 1242 samples. INUP continued work on analytical The IAEA TC project PAK/4/044 has been successfully completed. Under engineering studies related to the Reactor Experiments Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs). this project, a small angle neutron scattering instrument has been In addition, Institute for Nuclear Experimentation has been started to Power and Karachi Nuclear Power designed, developed and installed at measure the reactor kinetic para- beam tube No. 5 at PARR-1. 1 Annual Report 2003-2004 Laser Applications One hundred and fifty (150) units of Laser land leveler (LLL) were assembled and handed over to different public organizations and private farmers. Two-step laser spectroscopy of Zinc, Cadmium, and Mercury was performed using the Nd: Yag laser as a pump for dye laser. Radioisotope & Radiophar- maceutical Cold Kits Production Regular supply of sodium iodide (131l) consisting of 458 consignments (94750 mCi) worth Rs. 5146100 was dispatched to different nuclear medi- cal centres in Pakistan. 9 consign- ments of sodium phosphate ("P, 75 Small Angle Neutron Scattering instrument installed for defect studies of materials mCi), worth Rs. 118000 and 4 consignments of MIBG-111I (19.5 mCi) worth Rs. 30400 were also supplied process and laboratory automation Mustard canola, being the first ever, to nuclear medical centers. has been developed. mutant variety of mustard developed in Pakistan is canola quality and has Total supply of radioactive products This module offers, 8 single ended the potential to replace the non- was 94845 mCi, worth Rs. 53,04,500, analogue inputs of 0 to 10V, unipolar canola indigenous varieties. whereas supply on complimentary & bipolar input range, 8-bit resolution, basis was 1885 mCi, worth Rs. four digital inputs/outputs, one For Integrated Pest Management of 24,00,500. 9154 vials of eleven analogue output, +12V,-12Vand+5V various crops, efforts were made to different cold kits worth Rs. 56,51,600 on board. lower the losses by carrying out were also supplied. studies to eradicate cotton pests, AGRICULTURE & sugarcane borers, rice borers, fruit Applied Health Physics flies and other economically impor- BIOLOGY tant insects. Technical improvements were suggested for safe packaging and Development of new varieties Detailed surveys and experiments disposal of radioactive waste from through mutation breeding for crop were carried out to find out causes of various places of 131l plant. improvement was given top priority at wheat, oil seed and ricé crops all research centers. pathologies, while Induced Systemic Personnel radiation contamination Resistance was also tried for certain monitoring services were provided on For Bhittai, a new high yielding, crops. about 16,463 occasions to different disease resistant wheat variety radiation workers, trainees and developed by NIA, trials were Plant physiology and salt tolerance visitors at PARR-1, PARR-2, NCD, conducted at farmer's fields. The studies continued involving screen- and IPD. proposal for its release has been ing of salt tolerance varieties in rice, prepared for submission to the wheat and sunflower. Under salinity About 16,010 radiation/contamina- Technical Sub-Committee for the and environmental management, tion surveys were conducted in Approval of Varieties and Tech- various crops were screened and different labs./plants of PINSTECH. niques, Government of Sindh. A can- some income generating activities 8,628 smear samples, 400 air sam- didate high yielding variety "Khirman" were devised for farmers. ples and 162 water samples were after evaluation in NUWYT, is being also collected from the halls of PARR- tested on progressive farmer's fields Food, feed irradiation, Pos* harvest 1, PARR-2 and labs, of IPD etc. as well. treatments and development of seedless kinnow were the major Computers Mustard variety "NIFA-Mustard areas of study under food crops. Canola" was approved by the NWFP Availability of N to rice, tillage A general-purpose interface module Provincial Seed Council for commer- practices, P-application methods, for data acquisition and control cial cultivation in the rain fed & Rhizobiology were the topics studied through parallel port for industrial irrigated areas of NWFP. The NIFA- for plant nutrition and soil biology. 2 Annual Report 2003-2004 - Under animal health and reproduc- related applications of nuclear Major activities ha 'e been pros- tion, 8000 vials of NIAB-HS-vaccine technology are of paramount impor- pection and exploration for uranium and 1000 vials of NIAB-ND-Vaccine tance. PAEC has established 13 alongwith minor activity of fluorite were prepared and sold to local centers (including INOR Abbottabad exploration. Prospection work has markets. A new vaccine has also recently inaugurated in May, 2004) so been done in Kohat Plateau, Rustam, been sold in the market for the far, which are providing latest and Mardan, Darband, Hazara Granitic Hydropericardium Syndrome of state of the art facilities for the dia- Complex, etc whereas detailed poultry. gnosis and treatment of various exploration has been undertaken at diseases including cancer. During Shanawah depositsite. 2003-2004, 192,000 patients were BIOTECHNOLOGY & diagnosed by the Nuclear Medicine Detailed exploratory drilling was GENETIC Departments using short lived started at Shanawah site of Bannu isotopes, obtaining planer, SPECT Basin in the 4th quarter to estimate ENGINEERING and whole-body images of the reserves in the RAR category. diseased organs using gamma Manchar Formation in the Kirthar Six Divisions of NIBGE, namely Plant cameras. Where as treatment was Range was studied in geological Biotechnology Biofertilizers, Indus- provided to more than 135,000 detail to understand the nature of trial Biotechnology, Bioprocess patients using