The SK Hydropower Station in Pakistan, a landmark project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), was prominently featured at the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit held from August 31 to September 1 in Tianjin, China.
Themed “Promoting the ‘Shanghai Spirit’: SCO in Action,” the summit attracted global attention as leaders and delegations from member states and partner countries gathered to strengthen regional cooperation.
According to a statement issued by Energy China Pakistan on Tuesday, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif led the Pakistani delegation to the summit, drawing significant attention. As a full member of the SCO, Pakistan has actively engaged in various fields, including politics, economy, and culture, in recent years, continuously expanding cooperation with other member states. Its participation in the summit aims to deepen cooperation and promote shared development between China, Pakistan, and SCO member states.
During the summit, the SK Hydropower Station, which is invested, constructed, and operated by China Energy Overseas Investment Co., Ltd., was featured in the “SCO Summit Special Issue” published by the International Business Daily of China’s Ministry of Commerce. As a benchmark project in China-Pakistan energy cooperation, the station serves as a vivid example of the “Shanghai Spirit” and the Belt and Road Initiative.
As one of the first projects listed under CPEC within the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the SK Hydropower Station is not only the largest hydropower station built by China overseas but also the largest greenfield hydropower investment by a Chinese company abroad.
Construction began on December 31, 2016, and commercial operations started on September 14, 2024. By August 2025, the project had generated over 2.7 billion kWh of electricity. Its reliable, green, and environmentally friendly power supply model has contributed significantly to the optimization and upgrading of Pakistan’s energy structure. The SK Hydropower Station ensures a clean power supply while adhering to principles of environmental protection and sustainable development.
For seven consecutive years, the project has planted over 150,000 trees, built and handed over a 5,000-square-meter trout hatchery to maintain the ecological balance of the watershed, and conducted the “Building Dreams Forward” education aid program, providing financial assistance to 31 students. Additionally, it funded the construction of the N15 realignment road and the Kahan District Government Service Center, improving local infrastructure. In response to natural disasters, the project has donated funds and organized rescue teams, becoming a model for sustainable development cooperation among SCO member states.
The successful implementation of the SK Hydropower Station embodies the SCO’s “Shanghai Spirit” of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations, and the pursuit of common development. It also provides a replicable “China Energy Construction Solution” for SCO members to cooperate on green energy and infrastructure, contributing to the development of a closer SCO community with a shared future.
