Enel, Ansaldo, Leonardo Reach Deal for Mini Nuclear Reactors
Rome: Power companies Enel and Ansaldo Energia have reached an agreement with aerospace and defense engineering giant Leonardo to develop advanced third-generation small modular reactors (SMRs), the companies announced Thursday. Italy, which abandoned nuclear power following a 1987 referendum a year after the Chernobyl disaster, plans to return to nuclear energy through small reactors operated by the private sector with public assistance. The new SMT partnership structure will consist of Enel holding a 51% stake, granting it the authority to appoint a chairman and CEO, Ansaldo holding 39%, and Leonardo with 10%.
According to Ansa News Agency, Enel is currently the only Italian energy company actively engaged in the nuclear sector as a manager and developer of nuclear plants internationally. The partnership agreement, initially reported by Il Sole 24 Ore and Corriere della Sera, will focus on activities related to the construction of Italy’s first SMR, as well as theoretical research and monitoring in the field of fourth-generation nuclear reactors. The subsequent construction activity is contingent upon the adoption of a regulatory framework for nuclear energy production.
The agreement marks a significant step forward, with the Ministry of Economy, in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security and the Business and Made in Italy Ministry, promoting the project. This initiative aims to represent a tangible result of the government’s strategy to foster collaboration between the participating companies to enhance Italy’s positioning in advanced technological areas.
According to the latest National Integrated Plan for Energy and Climate, nuclear fission, and eventually fusion, could supply approximately 11% of Italy’s total electrical energy by 2050, with a projected increase to 22%. Additionally, in the Medium-Term Budget Structural Plan presented in September 2024, the government indicated an enabling law connected to the 2025 budget to introduce a legislative framework for resuming nuclear energy production in Italy starting in 2030.