Last year, Italy – the only G8 country without its own operational nuclear power plant – took the first steps towards undoing the ban on nuclear power that has been in place for almost four decades.
Italy once had four operational nuclear reactors, but all were closed in 1987 after the catastrophic Chernobyl disaster turned public opinion against the energy source.
Since then, the Italian government has occasionally pushed for the return of nuclear power, but with limited success. Support for this energy source seemed to come to a head in 2008 when the government announced plans to have 25% of the country’s electricity supplied by nuclear power. This was also rejected in a referendum after the Fukushima disaster in 2011.
Ultimately, the country’s lower house passed two motions in May last year aimed at overturning the ban. The text merely asked the government to “consider including nuclear energy as an alternative and clean source of energy production.”
This intention now appears likely to translate into action as Italian Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin last month announced plans to draft legislation to overturn the ban in early 2025, with the hope of government approval over the course of next year.
Henry Preston, spokesman for the World Nuclear Association, expressed support for this decision Power technology that the nuclear revival is absolutely necessary for the country.
The meaning of the reversal
“Italy’s reversal of nuclear power ban would be key to its energy transition and carbon neutrality ambitions,” says Preston, highlighting nuclear power’s ability to provide “clean, reliable and safe electricity and heat, which can decarbonise many domestic and industrial applications.”
Italy, like many other countries in the world, has sought to accelerate its decarbonization initiatives in recent years. For example, the country will no longer grant concessions for oil exploration and production, although the ban will only apply to new concessions, not those that have received government approval. It also plans to phase out coal-fired electricity by the end of 2025.
While these efforts have been praised among environmentalists, critics have raised concerns about the future of the European nation’s energy security.
Preston believes nuclear energy will be the answer: “There are no cases of countries without access to vast natural resources such as geothermal energy or hydropower that have managed to significantly reduce fossil fuels from their energy supply without deploying nuclear energy.”
He explains that Italy’s plans are in line with those of other countries, namely Belgium, France, Sweden, South Korea and Switzerland, which also plan to revive their nuclear industries.
Italy’s nuclear plans: from SMRs to a state-backed nuclear company
Despite the decades-long ban, Italy has retained important expertise in the nuclear sector.
“Italy has a long tradition in nuclear energy and is home to nuclear pioneers such as Enrico Fermi, as well as building and safely operating reactors in the 20th century,” says Preston.
“Since phasing out its former generating reactors, Italy has maintained a high level of expertise in workforce training and production capabilities that support many other European countries using nuclear energy, and is involved in the development of new SMRs. [small modular reactors].”
Many Italian energy companies have pursued nuclear developments outside the country. State-owned Enel operates nuclear power plants in Spain, while Eni has invested in a nuclear fusion development project in the US.
Edison, the Italian subsidiary of French nuclear group EDF, is also working on developing SMRs. Fratin has said that these SMRs could be introduced into the Italian energy mix by 2035.
SMRs are particularly attractive to Italy because they have a relatively small footprint compared to other technologies such as wind and solar and can be built in years rather than decades.
Moreover, in addition to legislation to overturn the country’s nuclear ban, the government is reportedly planning to establish a state-backed nuclear power company.
According to multiple U.S. media reports, Italian officials have begun preliminary talks with Ansaldo, Enel and Newcleo to further develop the company.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Energy and Climate Plan estimates that, if all nuclear revival plans go ahead, nuclear energy could account for 11% of the country’s domestic energy demand by 2050.
“Italy’s nuclear revival is imperative, says the World Nuclear Association” was originally created and published by Power Technology, a brand owned by GlobalData.
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