Map - Chashma Nuclear Power Plant (Chashma Nuclear Power Plant)

The Chashma Nuclear Power Plant (or CHASNUPP), is a large commercial nuclear power plant located in the vicinities of Chashma colony and Kundian in Punjab in Pakistan.

Officially known as Chashma Nuclear Power Complex, the nuclear power plant is generating energy for industrial usage with four nuclear reactors with one being in construction phase in cooperation with China. The power site is covered under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) monitoring and safeguards which also provide funding for the site expansion. Planning of the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant took place with France in 1973 but the site was completed with China's joining the project, and later providing the reactor in 1993.

With growing demands of energy that was recognized in November 2006, the IAEA approved an agreement with Pakistan for new nuclear power plants to be built in the country with Chinese assistance when its Board of Governors of unanimously approved the safeguards agreement for any future Nuclear Power Plants that Pakistan will be constructing.

Planning and design phase of the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant began in 1973–75 by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) with its chairman, Munir Ahmad Khan, selecting the Chashma Lake as its potential site. In 1974, Bhutto administration entered in negotiation over the supply of the nuclear power plant with France, presenting the initial design by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, and signed a contract with France's Commissariat à l'énergie atomique (CEA) to provide funding of the nuclear power plant and a separate plutonium production facility in Khushab.

Negotiations over the supply of commercial nuclear power plant became controversial and further complicated after India's nuclear test, 'Smiling Buddha', conducted in 1974. In February 1976, French government began to show increased concern over the export of technology and Bhutto administration eventually suggested to sign a safeguard agreement which would brought the nuclear power plant under International Atomic Energy Agency's watch. The French government agreed on this proposal and eventually signed a safeguard agreement with Bhutto administration on 18 March 1976.

Despite the IAEA safeguard agreement and Zia administration's asking of CEA to fulfill the Chashma contract, France eventually halted the funding and ejected from the project in 1978.

In 1980, Pakistan discussed funding of the nuclear power plant with China, and Pakistan begin the construction of the nuclear power plant in 1982–83. This 900 MW nuclear power plant received US$1.2 Bn funding from the Zia administration to lessen the dependence on energy infrastructure depended on Saudi oil aid and oil imports from UAE. In 1984–85, Pakistan reached out to Soviet Union over the funding of the project which the Russians were receptive of the offer but decided against participating in the project.

In 1986, Pakistan eventually entered in understanding with China when it signed an agreement on peaceful usage of commercial nuclear power technology. In 1989, China announced to sell of the reactor but the nuclear power plant did not operationalise due the PAEC scientists and engineers, who eventually designed the reactor based on CNP-300 in China, and had to conduct several lengthy testing and pass PAEC required regulation phases, since China did not have the experience to sustain such a large and highly complex project— the experience Pakistan learned from running the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant.

In 1990, the discussion over the funding of nuclear power plant was again held with France, which the French government agreed upon supplying a nuclear power reactor but later decided against it due to financial funding. In 1992, Pakistan eventually signed an agreement with China and construction of the nuclear power plant site begin in 1993 with China and Pakistan financing US$900 Mn for this project.

In 2000, the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant became operational when it joined the nation's grid system with China National Nuclear Corporation overseeing the grid connections of the power plant. In 2004, the China National Nuclear Corporation was awarded contract for building a second unit based on the first reactor, followed by contracting for two more reactors in 2011.