Light engineering pension fund PME is considering a “substantial investment” in nuclear power chairman Eric Uijen has told current affairs tv show Nieuwsuur.

The move is a “possible one” but it is still unclear if such an investment would deliver a good return for the fund’s pensioners, Uijen told the programme. “That is the most important thing for us.”

The new government plans to invest in developing four new nuclear power stations. The Netherlands currently has just one, in Borssele in Zeeland, financed by the state.

However, officials hope the private sector, specifically pension funds, banks and insurance companies, will finance the bulk of any new developments.

Uijen said PME is positive but critical about such an investment because nuclear power can reduce carbon dioxide emissions and help the move to a carbon-neutral economy.  However, first, the government must take action and that includes boosting the capacity of the national grid.

PME has some 600,000 participants from the light engineering and tech sectors and is one of the big five pension funds. It has some €54 billion in invested assets.