Islamabad, March 20 (IANS): The overall production of nuclear power plants in Pakistan will be raised to 40,000 MW by 2050, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) chairman Ansar Pervaiz has said.

Pervaiz said Karachi Nuclear Power Plant, Chashma Nuclear Power Unit-1 and Unit-2 have been producing a total of 755 MW of nuclear power. This capacity would be raised to 3,535 MW by 2021, upon completion of the under construction C-3, C-4, K-2 and K-3 projects, Daily Times reported on Friday.

Highlighting the long-term strategy devised under the Nuclear Power Vision to overcome the energy crisis, he said that after 2021, the PAEC will be focusing on commencing construction work on at least one nuclear power plant project every year in order to achieve the desired targets.

Pakistan's first nuclear power plant - Karachi Nuclear Power Plant - was established in 1972 and more than 42 years of its safe operation has provided confidence to pursue the nuclear power option.

The Chashma Nuclear Power Plants Unit-1 and Unit-2 were built with the assistance of China, and are also operating successfully, he added.