Scatec Solar will be the majority shareholder and will be responsible for financing, turnkey construction, operation and maintenance of the projects.

Nizam Energy will be the local co-developer, co-investor and a potential sub-contractor during construction and operation phases.

The partners will initially invest $300m to develop three power plants, each with a capacity of 50MW, with construction work scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2016. The projects are expected to be completed in around a year.

The second phase of the project involves construction of additional 150MW solar farms with an investment of $300m.

The 150MW plants will be designed to serve around 150,000 homes.

Expected to create more than 1,000 jobs during the construction phase in the region, the projects are designed to have an annually power generation capacity of 580GWh.

Scatec Solar CEO Raymond Carlsen said: "This project is an important landmark in Scatec Solar’s journey to provide clean and affordable energy in developing countries."

Nizam Energy CEO Usman Ahmad said: "We are keen to increase the role of clean solar power in Pakistan’s energy mix."