The best way to play nuclear power

Nuclear power is staging something of a comeback as the world demands more energy and lower carbon emissions. James McKeigue examines the industry and picks the best way to invest in nuclear energy.

Time is running out. This week the Climate Change Committee (CCC) urged the government to develop more nuclear power. It argues that new stations are urgently needed if Britain is to meet its target of an 80% cut in emissions by 2050. What's more, many of the UK's power stations are ageing and will need to be decommissioned over the next ten years. But while the government is procrastinating over whether to build new plants, investors can still pick off opportunities elsewhere in the sector.

Many countries are cracking on with developing their nuclear capacities. The United Arab Emirates recently signed a $40bn contract for a South Korean consortium to build four nuclear plants with a total capacity of 5,600MW. Meanwhile, according to the World Nuclear Association, China has 17 reactors under construction, Russia has nine and India and South Korea have six each. Why such a building boom?

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James McKeigue

James graduated from Keele University with a BA (Hons) in English literature and history, and has a certificate in journalism from the NCTJ. James has worked as a freelance journalist in various Latin American countries.He also had a spell at ITV, as welll as wring for Television Business International and covering the European equity markets for the Forbes.com London bureau. James has travelled extensively in emerging markets, reporting for international energy magazines such as Oil and Gas Investor, and institutional publications such as the Commonwealth Business Environment Report. He is currently the managing editor of LatAm INVESTOR, the UK's only Latin American finance magazine.