NextEnergy Capital has energised two new solar farms in Nottinghamshire, adding 130MW to its UK portfolio and bringing total operational capacity for its NextPower UK ESG fund to 318MW.
The Inkersall and Crifton projects, rated at 70MW and 60MW respectively, form part of the £733m NextPower UK ESG vehicle, which has backing from the UK Infrastructure Bank and major UK pension schemes, including LGPS Central and West Yorkshire Pension Fund.
NextEnergy Capital held an official opening ceremony at Inkersall to mark the milestone, attended by representatives of the National Wealth Fund and local government pension stakeholders.
Ross Grier, chief investment officer at 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.”
The fund’s pipeline includes a further three projects scheduled to go live this summer, totalling 94MW of additional capacity. These are Hatherden (60MW plus 7MW battery storage), Chapel (21MW), and Bindwell (13MW).
Once operational, the fund’s live portfolio will rise to 419MW, with a target of delivering more than 1GW in the UK by the time it is fully deployed.
All of NPUK’s operational assets benefit from Contracts for Difference (CfDs) secured through Allocation Round 4, providing long-term inflation-linked revenues to enhance investment certainty.
Nadeem Hussain, head of private markets at LGPS Central, said: “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 focuses on ready-to-build solar and battery storage assets and has committed over 75% of its fund to date. Its investment strategy targets clean power growth, job creation, and local economic development as part of a broader UK energy transition.
NextEnergy Capital said the energisation takes its total operational solar capacity in the UK to approximately 1.2GW, accounting for around 15% of ground-mounted utility-scale solar deployed nationally.
The fund is part of the wider NextEnergy Group, which also operates the NESF listed fund and several international solar investment vehicles, managing over 4GW of capacity globally.