The , which has been published two months after the launch of its initial Roadmaps to Mainstream Finance section, was prompted by the need to secure investment estimated at USD6 trillion by 2050 – or an average of USD250 billion a year – if global nuclear capacity is going to achieve the widely shared goal of at least tripling by 2050.
The three new sections include Nuclear Must Knows, which aims to highlight “the full value nuclear provides to energy systems, including energy security, reliability and decarbonisation, and puts risks in context to show how the industry is evolving”.
The Investment Readiness section “provides practical guidance and checklists for governments and project developers, emphasising that technical, financial and project readiness must progress in parallel if projects are to attract investment”.
And the Developer and Investment Models module says “the fundamental barrier to achieving final investment decision is a knowledge, coordination and structuring problem” and it “proposes a more structured and collaborative approach to nuclear project development, that starts with the business case first”. It also notes that “bringing governments, developers and financiers together earlier is essential to identify risks, align incentives and improve investment outcomes”.
According to the report, citing International Energy Agency and OECD Nuclear Energy Agency figures, financing structures are the prime driver of nuclear costs, and a 1% reduction in the cost of capital lowers the levelised cost of electricity of nuclear by roughly USD10 to USD20 per MWh.
Sama Bilbao y León, Director General of World Nuclear Association, said: “Nuclear’s challenge is not a shortage of capital. The challenge is ensuring that projects are structured, valued and financed in ways that allow capital to flow at scale. The Investment Guide helps bridge the gap between the nuclear and financial communities by translating decades of nuclear experience into the frameworks investors already use. Nuclear projects become more financeable when risks and rewards are allocated appropriately, and the full value nuclear brings to energy systems and society are recognised.”
The guide, published in full the day before the World Nuclear Symposium Finance Summit, was produced following the Financing Nuclear Briefing Series, which brought nuclear and finance leaders together, many of whom also served on an advisory board for the guide, which “is intended to close knowledge gaps, build a common language and bring governments, industry and investors together around the steps needed to scale nuclear finance”.
Listen: Report author Lola Infante on the World Nuclear News podcast
