To celebrate the energisation of these assets, NEC was joined by key personnel from the National Wealth Fund and UK Local Government Pension Schemes (LGPS), notably LGPS Central and West Yorkshire Pension Fund to Inkersall’s official opening ceremony.

Inkersall and Crifton, located in Nottinghamshire, the UK, are within the LGPS partner funds’ catchment area. The assets not only provide the area with clean green energy but also deliver economic benefits. For example, job creation was a key highlight of the recently published UK government solar roadmap which stated approximately 35 000 will be supported in the run up to Clean Power 2030. Place based investing is a key theme for NPUK and its successor fund NextEnergy UK II, which is soon to be launched. Place-based investment alongside its local job creation impacts also offers a fantastic strategy for pension funds under the Mansion House Reforms to funnel UK capital into the UK for UK people.

Both assets were successful in securing Contracts for Difference (CfDs) through the UK’s Allocation Round 4 (AR4). The CfD mechanisms provide visibility over the Fund’s future cash flows by providing long-term, inflation-linked stable income. The CfDs were introduced by the UK government to support investment into renewable energy, providing stability for investors into new build solar strategies such as NPUK.

The Fund delivers energy security, resilience, independence, sustainability, and affordability for the UK and its consumers. Upon full deployment, NPUK will deliver over 1GW of projects within the UK, further enhancing economic and social benefits within the UK constituencies in which we operate. For example, local pension fund constituents benefit from infrastructure projects such as Inkersall and Crifton via job creation, economic enhancement of the local area, and through returning capital to the local pension schemes through regular distributions and upon the successful exit of the fund.

To date, NPUK has a diversified portfolio of 16 assets delivering a total capacity of 764 MW. It has achieved rapid deployment, with over 75% of the fund size committed to date. NPUK is injecting momentum into clean energy investment as it advance the UK’s Clean Power by 2030 targets. The Fund continues to provide investors with attractive returns through the stable cash flows generated via the carefully selected portfolio of new build utility scale solar and energy storage assets.

Over the summer we will see the energisation of a further three assets in the portfolio, Hatherden (60 MW + 7 MW BESS), Chapel (21 MW), and Bindwell (13 MW) taking NPUK’s operational capacity to 419 MW.

NPUK is a private UK solar fund that focuses on acquiring utility scale solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) assets at the ready-to-build stage, constructing them through energisation in order to build a large operating portfolio of solar and BESS assets. Once the assets are operational, NPUK monetises its power sales through a fully contracted strategy which takes a hands-on approach to risk mitigation and value creation whilst optimising assets over the fund’s life.

Ross Grier, Chief Investment Officer, NextEnergy Capital, said: “The energisation of these two significant UK solar projects underlines our leadership in delivering clean, secure, and sustainable energy for the UK. NextPower UK ESG is perfectly positioned to channel more UK capital into UK infrastructure – creating local jobs, driving energy independence, and supporting the UK’s net-zero ambitions. We welcome the support of institutional investors and UK pension funds to continue building a cleaner, more resilient energy future for our communities.”

Nadeem Hussain, Head of Private Markets, LGPS Central, commented: “We are committed to investing in high-quality infrastructure opportunities that align with both financial objectives and sustainability principles on behalf of our Partner Funds. NextPower UK ESG offers long-term, stable returns from utility scale solar farms while driving meaningful environmental impact.”

For more news and technical articles from the global renewable industry, read the latest issue of Energy Global magazine.

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Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/solar/10072025/nextenergy-energises-two-uk-solar-assets/