Italy is thinking about using nuclear energy again. This would help the country get cleaner energy and also help the European Union (EU) grow its nuclear energy program.
In January, the Italian government took the first step. Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, the Minister of Environment and Energy Security, gave a plan to the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni. Government leaders will now talk about this plan, and later the Italian Parliament will vote on it.
This first step is about making rules and goals for using nuclear power in Italy. The plan also talks about creating a special group to watch over nuclear power to make sure it is safe.
But people are asking when things will actually happen. The plan says it could take around 27 months (a little over two years) after the law is approved just to finish all the rules. This means that real work on new nuclear power plants will likely start after the next national elections in 2027.
Want to know more about this plan?
What Type of Nuclear Plants Will Italy Use?
The government has shown interest in Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). These are small nuclear plants that are easier and faster to build than big ones. SMRs don’t make as much power, but they are cheaper and more flexible.
SMRs can be built in factories and then moved to where they are needed. They are a good choice for countries with smaller power needs or weaker energy systems. For Italy, they could be useful to slowly add nuclear power into the country’s energy system.
Even though Italy likes the idea of SMRs, the government said it will not limit itself. The plan says Italy will use the “best available technology,” which could include bigger and more advanced types of reactors.
Why SMRs Are Considered Good
Luca Romano, a scientist, said that using big reactors is smart, but SMRs are also important. He told Earth.Org that SMRs are great for areas that don’t use a lot of electricity. For example, places like the island of Sardinia or small countries like Estonia. Big reactors would make too much energy for them. SMRs, which make between 50 and 300 megawatts of power, would be a better fit.
Another good thing about SMRs is that they are cheaper to build. One of the biggest problems with nuclear energy is the high cost to borrow money for building. Interest on loans can be very expensive. But SMRs can be built faster, which means there’s less interest to pay.
Still, Romano warned that we shouldn’t just rely on new technology. He said that money and finance problems must be fixed by politicians, not engineers.
What Do the People Think?
The Italian government also needs to win public support. People in Italy have been unsure about nuclear energy for many years. They worry about accidents, high costs, and the fact that Italy doesn’t make many of the parts needed for nuclear plants.
But Italy does make some nuclear parts for other countries. Italian companies also help with big projects like ITER, an international project trying to create nuclear fusion. Italy is actually the second-largest European supplier for ITER, after France.
Italian companies like Ansaldo Nucleare and ATB Riva Calzoni make important parts for nuclear reactors. These include reactor containers, pumps, and steam generators. Other companies help test these parts and check that they are safe and high quality.
So, the main question now is not whether Italy can build the plants, but whether experts and leaders can help the public understand the safety and benefits of nuclear energy.
What Can Italy Learn From Other Countries?
To understand why Italy is going back to nuclear energy, we can look at what Germany and France are doing.
Germany stopped using nuclear energy and focused on solar and wind energy. But because the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow, Germany still uses a lot of coal to make electricity. Coal causes a lot of pollution. In 2023, Germany used about one-third of all the coal burned in the entire EU. Even if you took the coal used by France and Italy and multiplied it by four, it would still be less than what Germany used. So, Germany’s energy system is still very polluting.
France, on the other hand, uses nuclear power for about 70% of its electricity. This makes France’s energy much cleaner with very low carbon emissions. Italy could learn from this.
Italy has some challenges when it comes to solar and wind energy. A lot of the country is mountainous, and most of the industries and businesses are in the north, in the Po Valley. This area doesn’t get much sun and is surrounded by mountains, which makes wind power harder to use.
Most of the energy in northern Italy now comes from hydropower and natural gas. If Italy replaces some of that with nuclear power, it could lower pollution and also make electricity cheaper.
The Future of Nuclear Power in Italy and Europe
Nuclear power is becoming more attractive for Italy because it can help lower pollution and bring down energy prices. Some Italian companies are already involved in building SMRs, which gives Italy a head start in this area.
The EU is also pushing for more SMRs in its energy plan. This could mean more money and help for Italy if it joins the EU’s efforts. The EU also hopes to sell SMRs to other countries. The global market for SMRs could be worth hundreds of billions of dollars.
But there are still some problems. In Europe, each country has its own nuclear rules. For example, a reactor that is approved in France can’t just be built in Sweden. Sweden has its own rules and approval process. In the United States, there is one main agency that sets rules for the whole country. Europe may need to do the same to make building reactors easier and faster.
Well, before it can happen, surely there are still challenges, like public worries, high costs, and complicated rules. But Italy has strong companies and a long history in nuclear energy. If the government can work with the public and the EU, nuclear power could become an important part of Italy’s future.
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