Islamabad in talks to buy N-reactors says report

London: Pakistan is in talks to buy up to eight nuclear power reactors from China for between $7 billion and $10 billion (Dh25.69-36.7 billion), Britain's Financial Times reported on Tuesday.

Construction on the plants could start by 2015 and end 10 years later, the newspaper said, quoting an unidentified senior Pakistani official.

The new power stations would add 3,600-4,800 megawatts of capacity using a series of 600 megawatt reactors, according to the report.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz formally launched construction last week of a Chinese-supplied nuclear plant at Chashma in the eastern province of Punjab.

In September, Pakistan called on the United States and other Western countries for help in developing civilian nuclear technology that would meet its growing energy needs. However, there have been international concerns.