ISLAMABAD: United States-based energy company GE Vernova on Monday expressed interest in expanding investment in Pakistan’s hydropower sector, an official statement said after a meeting between the company’s hydro division chief and the country’s power minister.

GE Vernova is GE’s dedicated energy company that focuses on power generation, grid technologies and renewable energy, including hydropower, wind and solar technologies, battery and energy storage systems, grid modernization and transmission solutions.

The meeting between the company’s hydropower chief, Frederic Ribieras, and the Pakistani minister, Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, came as the country shifts toward a market-driven power sector in which private developers will lead future generation projects.

“Mr. Ribieras expressed interest in hydropower technologies,” the power ministry said in its statement. “The Minister supported this interest and said a list of potential investment projects can be shared with GE Vernova.”

Leghari told the GE Vernova official that the government wanted the private sector to take the lead in the sector and would not procure power in future.

He maintained the US company “can serve as a strong technical and investment partner.”

The minister said Pakistan was pursuing a least-cost energy strategy and had recently reached nearly 56 percent clean energy generation.

He highlighted transmission constraints and urged global investors to explore business-to-business opportunities, adding that the country needs battery-energy storage systems to support wind-power integration.

According to the statement, Ribieras proposed pumped-storage hydropower as an option, with the minister saying the government was open to reviewing all least-cost solutions.

He also highlighted the ongoing reforms, including the planned privatization of electricity distribution companies, and said GE Vernova’s expertise could support initiatives such as advanced metering infrastructure.