The Meloni government He broke a taboo: with the ok in Advise of ministers at the delegation law on the nuclearon the proposal of the Minister of the Environment and Energy Safety Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Italy could have i first reactors already functioning in 2030.
This is the most optimistic of the scenarios, which however does not take into account the critical issues relating to the more classic Nimby effect (Not in My Back Yard), with relative protests of residents and environmentalists who could slow down the projects.
Soon nuclear power plants in Italy
The government’s goal is to start Italy towards energy independence, modernizing the entire supply chain from production to waste management and waste. We will also intervene on deactivation and dismantling of existing systems.
Pichetto Fratin does not hide the enthusiasm:
“With new generation nuclear power, together with renewables we will be able to achieve the objectives of the decarbonisation, guaranteeing full energy safety of the country. So Italy is ready to face the challenges of the future. (…) It is a complete break compared to previous experiences: we look at fusion and new generation fission with different complete tools than the great plants “.
The delegation provides that the government adopts a series of legislative decrees, within 12 months from the entry into force by the delegation bill, to regulate the matter through the drafting of a national program. The executive has already carried out, identifying about fifty sites suitable for storage of nuclear waste already in December 2023. The goal is to ensure sufficient energy to the needs of Italian families and companies and accessible prices, with a containment of production costs and strengthening the competitiveness of the system.
The energy dependence of Italy
As for energy, Italy is among the industrialized countries most dependent on abroad. The last Med & Italian Energy Report of the Polytechnic of Turin and Intesa Sanpaolo announces how the EU amounts of average 58% of the energy and Italy even the 74.8%. At least 5% come from the French nuclear power plants, placed a few kilometers from the Italian border.
The Pniec (Integrated national plan for energy and climate) provides that Italy is oriented towards a mix of renewablesnuclear and gas. This would allow to achieve the objectives of decarbonisation al 2050. As regards nuclear power, it is expected to reach a share between 11% and 22% of the electricity request.
What effects on the bill with the return of nuclear power to Italy
The Italians said twice not to nuclear power: the first time with the referendum of 1987 and the second with the analogous referendum of 2011.
The return of nuclear energy to Italy would have effects on the cost of the electric bill, but they would not be immediate. Once started nuclear energy, it has relatively stable and competitive production costs compared to other energy sources. The node, for the government, is to be able to organize an efficient nuclear supply chain, which makes the production of energy cheaper than that based on gas or other fossil sources. Energy prices would come, but only a long term.
The reason is that the construction of new nuclear power plants requires huge investments initials. In the short and medium term this could lead to an increase in costs for families and businesses, for example through a tariff component intended to finance nuclear projects.
