Pakistan - World Nuclear Outlook Report
Current operations
Pakistan has six Chinese-supplied operating reactors at the Chashma and Karachi plants with a total net capacity of 3262 MWe.
In June 2023, Pakistan agreed a $4.8 billion deal with China to provide an HPR1000 reactor as unit 5 of the Chashma plant. Construction began at the end of 2024.
Table Pa.1 Nuclear capacity status (as of 1 October 2026)
| Operable reactors | Operable reactors net capacity (MWe) | Operable reactors gross capacity (MWe) | Reactors under construction | Reactors under construction gross capacity (MWe) | Carbon dioxide emissions avoided (cf. coal) (MtCO2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 3262 | 3530 | 1 | 1200 | 191 |
Nuclear policy and outlook
Expansion of nuclear power capacity has long been a central element of Pakistan's energy policy. Pakistan's Nuclear Energy Vision 2050 announced in late 2013 sets a target of 40,000 MWe of nuclear capacity by 2050. The government restated it in February 2022, when the Prime Minister's climate change adviser, Malik Amin Aslam, said Pakistan planned 40,000 MW of nuclear energy by 2050 alongside wind, hydro and solar to meet its COP26 goals.
The revised Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP) 2025-35, prepared by the Independent System and Market Operator, raises nuclear capacity from 3530 MWe to 4730 MWe by 2034-35 in every scenario that allows new capacity.
Table Pa.2 Contributions to total capacity projection in 2050 (gross)
| 60 year operation (MWe) | 80 year operation (MWe) | Currently under construction capacity (MWe) | Planned capacity (MWe) | Proposed capacity (MWe) | Potential capacity (MWe) | Government capacity target (MWe) | Additional capacity* required to meet government target (MWe) | Total capacity (MWe) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3530 | - | 1200 | - | - | - | 40,000 | 35,270 | 40,000 |
| *Capacity additional to operable, under construction, planned, proposed and potential capacities required to meet the government target. | ||||||||
Readiness Assessment
Pakistan has an established nuclear power programme and a credible route to complete its next reactor. The challenge is the scale of its ambition to reach 40,000 MWe by 2050, with no additional reactor identified in the near-term national expansion plan.
| Country Category | Expander |
|---|---|
| Policy Framework Readiness | Moderate-High Nuclear expansion has sustained government backing and appears in power system planning, but the 40,000 MWe vision requires a sequence of funded projects commensurate with it. |
| Institutional & Infrastructure Readiness | Moderate-High The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) and the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority have extensive operating, construction and regulatory experience; Pakistan also has nuclear education, research and waste management institutions. |
| Programme & Project Development Readiness | Moderate Chashma 5 has crossed major approval and construction milestones. A subsequent fleet of projects has yet to reach a sufficiently defined development stage. |
| Target Achievability | Low Reaching 40,000 MWe by 2050 would require roughly another 35,000 MWe beyond today's fleet and Chashma 5, requiring a much larger project pipeline than currently exists. |
