Renewable energy investor NextEnergy Capital said on Tuesday it has energised two new solar farms in Nottinghamshire, contributing 130 megawatts (MW) of capacity to its UK portfolio under the NextPower UK ESG fund.
The two sites, Inkersall and Crifton, are rated at 70MW and 60MW respectively. Their commissioning increases the operational capacity of the £733 million fund to 318MW, the company said. The NextPower UK ESG vehicle is supported by the UK Infrastructure Bank and several UK pension schemes, including LGPS Central and West Yorkshire Pension Fund.
“The energisation of these two significant UK solar projects underlines our leadership in delivering clean, secure, and sustainable energy for the UK,” said Ross Grier, chief investment officer at NextEnergy Capital.
An official ceremony was held at the Inkersall site to mark the occasion, with representatives from the National Wealth Fund and local pension stakeholders in attendance.
NextEnergy Capital said three additional projects—Hatherden (60MW solar with 7MW battery), Chapel (21MW), and Bindwell (13MW)—are expected to come online later this summer, contributing another 94MW of capacity. Once operational, the fund’s live portfolio would increase to 419MW, with a goal of reaching over 1 gigawatt (GW) in the UK by full deployment.
The company noted that all operational assets under the NextPower UK ESG fund benefit from Contracts for Difference (CfDs) secured in Allocation Round 4, providing inflation-linked revenues and supporting investment stability.
“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,” said Nadeem Hussain, head of private markets at LGPS Central.
NextPower UK ESG focuses on ready-to-build solar and battery storage assets and has allocated over 75% of its capital to date. The fund is part of the wider NextEnergy Group, which manages over 4GW of solar capacity globally, including through its listed fund NESF and other international platforms.
With the latest additions, NextEnergy Capital said its total operational solar capacity in the UK stands at approximately 1.2GW, representing around 15% of the country’s ground-mounted utility-scale solar installations.
