Unlocking Financing For Nuclear Energy Infrastructure In The Covid 19 Economic Recovery

The sheer size of nuclear projects might be a barrier in some markets where private investors are looking for short-term paybacks. However, during a period of economic recovery, large-scale and long-term energy infrastructure projects, such as nuclear power plants, can galvanise the social cohesion and economic spill-overs required to relaunch general economic activity. Governments should incentivise investments in resilient low-carbon energy infrastructure, such as nuclear energy, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Proper policy and market frameworks to incentivise investment in essential infrastructure that supports low-carbon electricity security and economic development are needed. Transitional, targeted government support for nuclear energy projects will be indispensable to unlock the benefits of nuclear energy in the post-COVID-19 economic recovery. Government support can and should be leveraged to attract cost-effective private financing to deliver nuclear energy infrastructure projects. There is currently a window of opportunity for governments to support sustained cost reductions in nuclear energy projects through timely new build decisions - thus reinforcing the process of learning by doing and allowing these designs to move along their learning and cost curves.