Global Times: China and SCO partners drive green transition through clean energy projects, sustainable development cooperation
China-SCO green energy projects boost clean power, jobs, and sustainability, with Karot Hydropower key in Pakistan.
Beijing, China, Aug. 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In the summer, scorching heat waves often send temperatures soaring beyond 45 C along the dry banks of the Jhelum River in Pakistan.
In a riverside village, local resident Ahmed reaches out to turn up the electric fan. As the room gradually cools down, his two children focus intently on their homework.
Just a few kilometers away from Ahmed's home, turbines at the Karot Hydropower Station spin at 100 revolutions per minute, continuously delivering clean electricity to surrounding regions.
Also benefiting from this power source are key residential and industrial load centers such as Gujranwala, Lahore and Rawalpindi in Pakistan.
With a total installed capacity of 720,000 kilowatts, the Karot Hydropower Station is expected to generate approximately 3.2 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually.
It could meet the daily electricity needs of around 5 million people and significantly alleviate Pakistan's power supply-demand gap, the Global Times learned from the China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG).
Dubbed "Pakistan's Three Gorges Project," the Karot Hydropower Station is a flagship collaboration between China and Pakistan - both member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
In recent years, SCO member states have actively advanced green energy transitions by introducing supportive policies and setting carbon reduction goals. Cooperation projects in hydropower, photovoltaics, wind energy, and nuclear energy have steadily moved forward.
In his speech in July 2024 at "SCO Plus" meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed that "we should build a common home of prosperity and development. Modernization is the shared goal of all countries in the SCO."
China proposes that 2025 be designated as the SCO Year of Sustainable Development so as to help us focus on fostering new forces for growth, Xi said, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Today, China's clean energy blueprint stretches across the SCO landscape - from the Tianwan and Xudapu nuclear power plants, to the Turgusun Hydropower Station and Kapshagay photovoltaic station in Kazakhstan; the Issyk-Kul solar farm and Toktogul Hydropower Station in Kyrgyzstan; the Bukhara wind farm and Navoi photovoltaic plant in Uzbekistan; and the Karot Hydropower Station in Pakistan - all emerging as new growth drivers among SCO member states.
"With the regional green transformation is taking effect in SCO with China being its central driver, it is making meaningful contributions to international climate goals by shifting large economies toward low-carbon pathways," Muhammad Asif Noor, secretary general of the Pakistan-SCO Friendship Forum, told the Global Times.
Train local talents with widespread recognition
New energy cooperation between China and its SCO partners has actively contributed to economic growth and improved livelihoods. The Karot Hydropower Station - the first hydropower project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) invested and developed by CTG - stands as a vivid example.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said before that the Karot Hydropower Project, a major pilot project under the CPEC, would generate environment-friendly and cheap electricity, promoting green development in Pakistan, according to a Xinhua report in 2022.
Muhammad Aftab Alam is one of the many beneficiaries of the project. As the safety manager of the Karot Hydropower Station, he told the Global Times that "as one of the builders of the project, I feel extremely proud! It not only provides affordable clean energy, but more importantly, it has nurtured a large number of skilled and experienced Pakistani professionals who are well-versed in standards. They are the future and hope of this country."
Alam joined the Chinese company in 2015 and is now considered a "veteran employee." "I have been deeply moved by the professionalism and dedication of my Chinese colleagues who remain committed to overseas projects, far away from their families. We've built a strong sense of teamwork," he said.
Before joining the Chinese enterprise, Alam worked at a local hydropower station. His motivation for joining the Karot project was to create a better educational environment for his children. "My children receiving better education and me having the chance to work on a larger platform - that's my goal."
By integrating China's ecological civilization philosophy into CPEC construction and adhering to international environmental and social sustainability standards, the Karot project has earned wide recognition, including winning several Pakistani awards on social responsibility and environmental development.
Alam has also reaped many personal benefits - all three of his children have been admitted to university, and his eldest daughter is currently pursuing a doctoral degree.
"I hope they can leave something meaningful on this land," said Alam, "just like the Karot Hydropower Station I see before me."
"China is leading the green transition in the SCO through joint ventures, sustainable infrastructure, and green technology sharing that open doors for employment, development, and industrialization," Noor said.
Boost economy, green lifestyle
The Karot project is not a standalone case in the successful green cooperation between China and SCO partners as they are pursuing shared goals of greener future and low-carbon growth when the world is facing growing pressure from climate change.
In the verdant grasslands of Kazakhstan, a striking sight unfolds across the vast horizon: A series of wind turbines standing tall against the backdrop of the sky. This is the Akmola wind power project cluster, a significant investment by a Chinese enterprise in the region.
With a total installed capacity of 221 megawatts, this project cluster is set to supply 843 million kilowatt-hours of green electricity annually, which translates to a remarkable reduction of 278,300 tons of standard coal consumption and a decrease of 686,600 tons in carbon dioxide emissions each year, according to a report by the People's Daily on August 26.
The wind turbines, along with the monitoring, control, and data collection systems in this project, are all equipped with Chinese technology, specifically designed to withstand the harsh climatic conditions of the region, characterized by long winters and extreme low temperatures.
In the rugged mountains of Uzbekistan's Zarafshan region, wind turbines now dot the horizon - a landmark of change brought by the Zarafshan wind power project. For local residents, harsh winters once meant enduring frequent blackouts and the daily struggle of life without electricity. "Cold and darkness have given way to warmth and light," local resident Alisher told the Global Times.
This transformation stems from a Chinese-built wind farm that not only strengthens local energy security, but has also created new job opportunities. Once fully operational, the project is set to supply green electricity to 500,000 households and cut carbon dioxide emissions by 1.1 million tons annually.
"It marks a significant step toward Uzbekistan's energy transition and sustainable economic development," a project employee previously shared with the Global Times.
In another special humanitarian initiative, a Chinese company has partnered with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to transform the Termez Cargo Center in Surkhandarya, Uzbekistan into a clean energy-powered hub. This solar upgrade, part of a broader climate action collaboration, marks a significant step toward sustainable energy solutions for emergency supply storage and transport, benefiting both refugees and host communities.
Besides large infrastructure projects, Chinese-brand new energy vehicles (NEVs) are also gaining momentum in many Central Asian cities, ushering a new trend of low-carbon transport. In the recently launched "Green Mobility Week" campaign in Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty, Chinese-made electric busies gained popularity during the event. In many other Central Asian cities, Chinese-made NEVs have also attracted fans.
Together for sustainable future
China is ready to work with all sides to carry forward the Shanghai Spirit, strengthen unity and coordination, promote green development, write a new chapter of common development, and jointly build an even closer SCO community with a shared future, Xi said in a congratulatory letter to the Green Development Forum of SCO Countries in July 2024, according to Xinhua.
Xi pointed out that it is the consensus of SCO countries to protect the environment and promote green development. China, committed to the philosophy that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, has in recent years unswervingly pursued a model of sound development featuring improved production, higher living standards and healthy ecosystems, leading to remarkable achievements in building a beautiful China, Xinhua reported.
The "China-SCO Renewable Energy Cooperation Report 2024" released during the SCO Energy Ministers Meeting on June 26 shows that SCO member countries contribute half of the global renewable energy installed capacity. By the end of 2024, the renewable energy generation capacity of SCO member countries had reached 2.31 billion kilowatts, which is 14.5 times that of the organization's founding and accounts for approximately 50 percent of the global total. In 2024, the newly installed renewable energy capacity in SCO member countries reached 420 million kilowatts, accounting for about 72 percent of the global new renewable energy capacity, with China contributing over 370 million kilowatts.
"China is shaping the energy landscape through green energy transformation marking a paradigm shift in global energy market. This paradigm shift means a fast-paced approach toward carbon neutrality supported by landmark technological transformation in China. China's role is pivotal because it brings not only financial resources and technological expertise, but also a developmental philosophy that aligns economic growth with climate change goals," Noor told the Global Times.
With leaders from more than 20 countries and heads of 10 international organizations set to participate, the upcoming SCO Summit 2025 is expected to pool consensus and steer the organization toward building a closer community with a shared future.
Source: Global Times:
Company: Global Times
Contact Person: Anna Li
Email: editor@globaltimes.com.cn
Website: https://globaltimes.cn
City: Beijing
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