Addressing challenges and opportunities regarding the financing of nuclear power plant projects

2016 11&12 May IFNEC

Over 150 leading stakeholders from more than 30 countries convened at the international conference on "Nuclear energy's role in the 21st century: addressing the challenge of financing" to discuss the primary challenges faced by the markets and to develop implementable approaches and solutions. The conference was held on 11-12 May 2016 in Paris, France by the International Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperation (IFNEC), in co-operation with the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA).

Opening remarks were delivered by the OECD Secretary‑General, Mr Angel Gurría, the NEA Director‑General, Mr William D. Magwood, IV and the Chair of the IFNEC Steering Group, Mr Edward McGinnis. Other speakers included industry and government representatives, as well as experts from other international organisations.

During his opening remarks, Mr Gurría spoke about the need for a level playing field for all low‑carbon technologies in electricity markets and called on IFNEC to help advance efforts to reach consensus regarding issues such as the financing of nuclear new build projects, the transparency of those projects and how best to support appropriate nuclear safety in newcomer countries. Mr Magwood highlighted the potential contributions and outlook for nuclear energy, while stressing the continuing importance of safety considerations when developing these new projects. He also noted: "The ability of low-carbon technologies to be deployed sustainably will depend on the health and effectiveness of electricity markets."

2016 11 May IFNEC 060 

Mr McGinnis considered that the development of implementable finance approaches are critical to addressing global needs in the nuclear area, noting that "financing is not only a key aspect of nuclear energy capacity building, but also of radioactive waste management, decommissioning, nuclear safety and security as well."

2016 11 May IFNEC 030 

Participants closely examined the various challenges of nuclear financing, including financing alternatives for nuclear power projects, financial risk management, establishing confidence in future pricing and return on investment, and innovative financing solutions for investment in clean energy. Experts from the People's Republic of China, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States also presented their respective national approaches to financing nuclear power projects.

2016 11 May IFNEC 236 

"The NEA is pleased to have partnered with IFNEC on the Nuclear Finance Conference to explore the complex issue of financing nuclear power projects," said Mr Magwood. "Many challenges still lie ahead to set the framework for the low-carbon economies of the future, and we look forward to sharing our expertise and working with our colleagues in IFNEC to achieve progress together."

Conference proceedings are in preparation and will be provided online.

2016 11 May IFNEC 035 

See also