Pakistan’s solar power generation surged far ahead of nuclear energy to become the country’s largest source of electricity in 2025, even as nuclear output climbed to a record high, according to the World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2026.
Solar generation reached an estimated 36.3 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2025, exceeding nuclear output by 61 percent. Pakistan’s nuclear electricity production rose 3.7 percent to a record 22.5 TWh, up from 21.7 TWh in 2024.
The report noted that solar generation may still be underestimated because a large amount of privately installed solar capacity operates behind the meter and does not feed into the public grid.
Pakistan operates six nuclear reactors with a combined net capacity of around 3.3 gigawatts. All six were built by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), including K-2 and K-3 near Karachi and four CNP-300 reactors at the Chashma Nuclear Power Generating Station. Pakistan was among the countries that achieved their highest-ever nuclear production in 2025.
The country’s nuclear fleet is also expanding. CNNC is building the 1,000 MW Chashma-5 reactor, with construction formally starting in December 2024. The project is expected to be completed by 2030. The report said C-5 is China’s only ongoing nuclear new-build project abroad and one of only two non-Russian nuclear construction starts outside China during 2020-2025.
However, Pakistan’s solar expansion has been significantly faster. The country imported more than 58 GW of solar panels from China between the beginning of 2017 and mid-2026, with around 40 GW, or 69 percent, imported during the two and a half years from 2024 to mid-2026. Pakistan became China’s second-largest single-country solar panel market after the Netherlands.
The report estimates that solar generation grew 85 percent in 2025 to 36.3 TWh, giving solar an estimated 21.6 percent share of Pakistan’s total gross electricity generation. It said Pakistan generated about 60 percent more electricity from solar panels than from its six operating nuclear reactors in 2025.
The rapid growth has largely taken place outside the formal grid. The report said private, unregistered photovoltaic installations have enabled significant self-consumption, helping explain a decline in recorded power consumption despite economic growth. It also noted that Pakistan installed about twice as much solar capacity in five years as France did in a decade.
While solar generation has surged, the report highlighted the financial burden associated with Pakistan’s newer nuclear plants. The Pakistan Economic Survey 2025-26 noted that debt repayment represents a significant part of the cost of nuclear electricity, mainly due to K-2 and K-3. Their 12-year debt repayment period represents only 20 percent of their estimated 60-year economic lifetime.
