PAEC Foundation has signed a contract for a 5MW hydropower plant at the outfall of the Chashma-5 Nuclear Power Plant.
The Foundation Hydel Power Plant Unit-05 (FHPP-05) will become the foundation’s fifth hydropower plant. PAEC announced the agreement on September 23, with electricity generation expected to begin by September 2029.
Once operational, the facility should supply approximately 30.66 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually to Pakistan’s national grid.
The project will harness available hydropower potential at the site, supporting more efficient water use and expanding the foundation’s renewable-energy portfolio.
Chinese-Pakistani joint venture signs contract
PAEC Foundation signed the agreement at PAEC Headquarters with a joint venture comprising three companies.
The partners include China Ocean Engineering Construction Corporation Ltd. and Ningbo Water Conservancy and Hydro Power Planning and Design Institute Co., Ltd. Pakistan’s Habib Rafique Engineering (Pvt.) Ltd. completes the consortium.
The announcement did not disclose the contract value, financing arrangements or individual responsibilities of the joint-venture partners.
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The planned annual output equals 30.66 gigawatt-hours, or an average of about 84,000 electricity units daily across a full year.
These figures represent projected generation after the facility starts operating. The September 2029 target places the anticipated start roughly three years after the contract announcement.
PAEC said the development would complement its wider contribution to Pakistan’s energy sector while adding 5MW of renewable generation capacity.
Hydropower builds on Chashma’s water infrastructure
The choice of a nuclear power plant’s outfall reflects an established approach at the Chashma site.
Regulatory documents for the separate Kundian Hydel Power project identify the Chashma-3 and Chashma-4 water discharge canal as its water source.
NEPRA’s July 2025 generation licence describes that facility as a 5MW canal-based hydropower plant using two 2.5MW vertical Kaplan turbines. Its licensed supply arrangement serves installations within the PAEC complex.
FHPP-05, by comparison, carries an announced target to supply the national grid. The new press release provides no turbine specifications or detailed operating arrangements.
Both projects illustrate how water infrastructure associated with nuclear facilities can support additional electricity production.
Project complements Pakistan’s nuclear fleet
PAEC operates six nuclear power plants with a combined capacity of 3,530MW, according to its announcement and official nuclear-power overview.
The commission describes their electricity as clean, sustainable and low-cost. Its existing fleet includes four nuclear plants at Chashma.
Chashma-5 itself is a separate, much larger nuclear project with a planned capacity of 1,200MW.
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The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority issued its construction licence on December 26, 2024. The regulator identified it as Pakistan’s largest planned electricity-producing nuclear power plant.
The newly contracted hydropower facility will expand PAEC Foundation’s renewable operations alongside that broader nuclear development.
