Abstract
Pakistan has faced a severe energy crisis for the last two decades. With the considerable power generation expansion, the country still faces power outages with an unsustainable energy mix. Successive energy policies emphasized thermal power deployment which has proved to be a part of the problem. Therefore, the present study has attempted to evaluate and investigate the prospects of nuclear power as a viable alternative in terms of energy security, reliability, and environmental sustainability with the SWOT tool. To further quantify the main drivers and barriers of nuclear energy, a Relative Importance Index (RII) analysis has been done. The results reveal that Pakistan has decades of experience running nuclear power plants satisfactorily. The regulatory framework for nuclear power generation is adequate to expand nuclear power generation. The opportunities are enormous to meet Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), as nuclear is a carbon-free source of energy. The main barriers are global suspicion of nuclear proliferation and less social acceptance.
Highlights
Pakistan has faced a severe electricity crisis due to a persistent gap between the demand and supply of electricity
The first power policy in the country was announced in 1994 which stressed the need to add imported fossil fuel-based thermal power generation to immediately bridge the widening gap of demand and supply. This resulted in an inefficient energy mix which compromised energy security, affordability, and environmental sustainability
SWOT analyses suggest that the main drivers are decades of experience, clean source of energy independent of climate conditions
Summary
Pakistan has faced a severe electricity crisis due to a persistent gap between the demand and supply of electricity. This resulted in the loss of GDP, closure of industries, unemployment, and stress on the social fabric of society. The first power policy in the country was announced in 1994 which stressed the need to add imported fossil fuel-based thermal power generation to immediately bridge the widening gap of demand and supply. This resulted in an inefficient energy mix which compromised energy security, affordability, and environmental sustainability.
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