Download from the Day

World Nuclear Symposium, began on Wednesday 3 September with two parallel summits on Energy Users and Finance. Both summits brought together the nuclear industry with key stakeholders from other sectors. 

For highlights from the Energy Users summit see here. 

7 Key Takeaways

1. The Summit heard financial success stories from both a nuclear and an investor perspective.

Julie Pyke, Joint CEO for Sizewell C and Alejandro López Delgado, Managing Director, Infrastructure, La Caisse, talking about the financing of Sizewell C.

Malcolm Moore, Energy Editor, Financial Times interviewed Lou Martinez Sancho, Chief Technology Officer, Westinghouse,  and Wyatt Hartley, Head of North American Asset Management , Brookfield explaining how technical risk translated in financial risk.

Min Fang, General Manager of the London Branch at Agricultural Bank of China, shared China’s successful experience in nuclear finance, emphasizing that a clear definition of stakeholder roles and proactive dialogue among them are key to success.

2. Demand for nuclear and massive investor appetite could not have been clearer.

Tomáš Ehler, Director General for Nuclear Energy, Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, said “There is no alternative to nuclear energy for Czechia - and many other countries - to reach our strategic energy targets".

Mark Muldowney, Managing Director, Energy, Resources and Infrastructure
BNP Paribas, said: “We want to deploy a very large amount of capital to the energy transition, nuclear is a key part of that.”

Victoria Kalb, Managing Director, Global Head ESG & Sustainability Research, UBS, said: “The demand from investors wanting nuclear… it is difficult to overstate how strong it is”

3.   Partnership working unlocks deeper conversation about sharing benefits, costs and risks.

Patrick Leahy, Managing Director and Global Power Leader, GE Vernova Financial Services, said: “The industry needs everybody at the table, solving the problems right now.”

Pierre Gaulier, Managing Director, Stifel, said: “The industry (finance and nuclear together) should take a more proactive role in informing governments, especially of the economic benefits.”

4. Projects need to start with finance.     

Seb Henbest, Group Head of Climate Transition, HSBC, said “Capital has options, the nuclear industry has to present that proposition to financial bodies with options that look attractive.”

Julie Pyke, Joint CEO for Sizewell C, said: “We can make nuclear look like many other projects, with similar risk profiles.”

5. Every build will be different, but replicable projects and financing frameworks are crucial.

Matt Firla-Cuchra, Partner, UK Head of Water, Power & Utilities, Global Lead Nuclear Energy, KPMG, said: “Let’s standardize the playbook, share the risk and make projects attractive to potential investors.”

Key insight: Sizewell C will replicate 85% of the design of Hinkley Point. 

6. Multilateral Development Banks spelled out their willingness to contribute to nuclear expansion. 

Lauren Culver, Senior Energy Specialist, World Bank, said: "Countries need access to affordable pools of capital – this is where the World Bank can help”.

7. There are investment opportunities right across the nuclear value chain.

Amir Adnani, President and CEO, Uranium Energy Corp, said: “This is the moment to grow nuclear capacity.”

What comes next?

Dr Sama Bilbao y Leon laid out World Nuclear Association’s plans,

• The Association will continue its Financing Nuclear Briefing Series throughout 2025-6 to deepen the conversation between the finance and nuclear communities.
• The Association will compile a new Nuclear Investment Guide, in partnership with the participants of the Finance Summit to develop a roadmap to help investors seize opportunities.

We thank all our speakers for their insights, and in particular our sponsors for the Finance Summit – Uranium Energy Corporation, and our Net Zero Nuclear strategic partners Cameco.

Tomorrow, World Nuclear Symposium 50 will be in full swing following the opening of the Exhibition. The key outcomes from Wednesday’s Finance  Summit will be reflected within the Symposium 50 programme.