Pakistan’s nuclear power generation reached a record 22.5 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2025, according to the World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2026.
Nuclear output rose 3.7% from 21.7 TWh in 2024. The report said the increase marked a new record for Pakistan’s nuclear electricity production.
Solar power grew much faster during the same period. Solar generation reached 36.3 TWh in 2025, according to the report.
For the first time, solar generation exceeded nuclear output by a wide margin. WNISR also said the solar figure was likely an underestimate.
Pakistan’s Nuclear Power Capacity
Pakistan operates six nuclear reactors with a combined capacity of 3,262 megawatts (MW), according to the report.
China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) built all six operating reactors.
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They include Kanupp-2 and Kanupp-3 near Karachi. Both use China’s Hualong One reactor design.
Pakistan also operates four 300MW reactors at the Chashma Nuclear Power Generating Station.
The Kanupp site previously housed the 90MW K-1 reactor. The CANDU reactor closed in 2021 after five decades of operation.
Debt Adds to Nuclear Power Costs
WNISR highlighted debt repayment as a significant part of nuclear electricity costs in Pakistan.
The report linked much of the debt to the K-2 and K-3 projects. The two reactors entered commercial operation in 2022 and 2023.
According to Pakistan’s Economic Survey 2025-26, the loans have a 12-year repayment period.
That period represents about 20% of the reactors’ estimated 60-year economic lifetime.
Pakistan is also developing another large nuclear project at Chashma.
CNNC is building the 1,000MW C-5 reactor at the site. Construction began with the first concrete pour in December 2024.
The project is expected to be completed by 2030.
Solar Imports Drive Rapid Growth
Pakistan’s solar expansion has accelerated well beyond official grid statistics.
WNISR said a large number of privately installed solar systems operate outside the public grid.
These systems allow households and businesses to generate electricity for their own use. Their output therefore does not fully appear in conventional grid data.
Pakistan imported more than 58GW of solar panels from China between early 2017 and mid-2026, according to the report.
About 40GW, or 69%, arrived between 2024 and mid-2026.
The report said Pakistan became the second-largest single-country market for Chinese solar panels, behind the Netherlands.
Solar Becomes Pakistan’s Largest Power Source
WNISR said Pakistan installed roughly twice as much solar capacity in five years as France installed over a decade.
Pakistan was also China’s largest customer for solar panels in 2025, according to the report.
By the summer of 2025, solar had become Pakistan’s largest individual source of electricity.
The rapid growth reflects rising interest in private solar generation amid high electricity costs and concerns over grid reliability.
The report’s findings point to a major shift in Pakistan’s energy mix. Nuclear power continues to provide a growing share of electricity, but solar generation is expanding at a much faster pace.
