nuclear-news

UK government’s own workplace pension scheme won’t back nuclear projects.

The government’s own workplace pension scheme has ruled out investing in
nuclear projects such as Sizewell C, dealing a blow to ministers’ hopes of
getting new plants off the ground.

The National Employment Savings Trust (Nest) said it would not revise its policy on nuclear infrastructure investments despite an overhaul of energy policy last year.

The government has set a high target of 24 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity by 2050,
supplied by big power plants and small modular reactors. It is courting investors such as pension funds to back Sizewell C in Suffolk, the next big nuclear plant in the pipeline.

Nest, which was set up by the government to manage auto-enrolment pensions, said it had no direct investments in nuclear infrastructure and “no current plans to review this any time soon”. “Our fund managers … would need to be confident it offers a good investment opportunity,” a spokesman added.

Big City investors like Aviva and Legal & General have previously ruled out funding projects such as Sizewell. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: “We
are confident that investors will take assurance from the government’s clear commitment to [nuclear].” Alison Downes, executive director at Stop Sizewell C, said:

“Nest’s refusal to bring its 11+ million members into line with ministers’ misguided energy policy is protecting the savings of millions of hard-pressed workers and pensioners from risky, slow, expensive Sizewell C.”

Times 14th May 2023

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/state-pension-scheme-nest-wont-back-nuclear-plans-h22q5qnzr

May 15, 2023 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized