The first Italian investment in the new nuclear. From a meeting between the Minister of the Environment Gilberto Pichetto Fratin and that of companies and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso would have been born the idea of using some state participatory companies to enter the capital of Newcleo, one of the most advanced Italian companies in the sector.
At the moment the investment is still an indiscretion, reported by the press agency Handlebut the press releases released from the meeting cite the company and seem to go in this direction. However, the obstacles are still many.
The meeting of the government on nuclear power
The project to return to the nuclear power of Giorgia Meloni’s government is proceeding. From the meeting between Pichetto Fratin and Urso a very optimistic note emerged:
“The government intends to actually support the strengthening of the industrial chain national dedicated to innovative nuclear energy, recognizing its fundamental importance to guarantee energy safety, environmental sustainability and technological competitiveness of the country “.
Until now, as underlined also by the rest of the note, the interventions on the matter have been mainly legislative. The new generation nuclear regulation governed the sector, with an regulatory framework aimed at attracting investments. At the moment, however, this was the only real move of the government with the aim of “enhance the already existing skills and create new industrial and employment opportunities for the benefit of the Italian production system “.
The investment in Newcleo
The meeting, however, also emerged the name of a nuclear sector company in Italy:
“The two ministers confirmed the full convergence on the strategic interest of the government so that Italy actively participate in the realization of innovative technologies in the sector, with particular attention to the projects promoted by Newcioo, Italian reality leader in the design of third generation reactors advanced and fourth generation “.
Newcleo is a company led by nuclear physicist and entrepreneur Stefano Buono. At the moment it mainly deals with maintenance e design Of reactors. The company does not plan to start producing its nuclear reactor before 2031.
Also to speed up this process, according to an indiscretion reported by the press agency Handlethe government would have intended to invest 200 million euros in society. This contribution would take place in the form of a participation, by one of the state companies, in the capital of Newcleo, with a percentage around 27%.
The obstacles of the new reactors
As repeatedly reiterated by several government members, the executive does not want to focus on current nuclear technologies available on a commercial level. Instead, he prefers to invest in the development of technologies that have not yet shown themselves usable on the international market.
Among these there is one of the specialties of Newcleo: the SMRor Small Nuclear Reactors. It is much smaller reactors of traditional ones, which can be transported with a truck already assembled. They have a low power, but can be combined with each other to increase energy production.
These reactors, however, as mentioned, are not currently available on the market. Only two countries, China and Russia, employ it, but also in those cases they are isolated projects. In neither states has a market of small modular reactors develop at the moment.
