Hinkley Point B nuclear power station is set to close this year
UK passes new nuclear financing model
New reactors to be financed during construction phase via regulated asset base model
The UK parliament has passed a bill to introduce a new regulated asset base (RAB) model for financing the construction of new nuclear energy projects. While contracts for difference (CfD) provide a subsidy for power generation once the plant is up and running, under RAB the government will pay a fixed return during the construction phase. For nuclear power plants, where construction schedules can run into the decades, this could incentivise private investment by lowering construction risk. Construction risk was blamed for the cancellation of at least two recent nuclear projects by Japanese conglomerates Hitachi and Toshiba. The RAB model places costs for new nuclear capacity onto energy bill
Also in this section
12 March 2026
Role of world’s largest carbon cap-and-trade market under scrutiny as war in Iran threatens to drive EU energy costs to unsustainable levels
10 March 2026
Europe urgently needs to bring more projects to FID, as CCS investors warn they might divert capital to faster-growing regions
9 January 2026
A shift in perspective is needed on the carbon challenge, the success of which will determine the speed and extent of emissions cuts and how industries adapt to the new environment
2 January 2026
This year may be a defining one for carbon capture, utilisation and storage in the US, despite the institutional uncertainty
