Europe Welcomes Italy’s ‘Historic Return’ To Nuclear Power
Written by NucNet
Friday, 10 July 2009
The European nuclear energy industry has welcomed the Italian Senate’s approval yesterday of a package of legislation that gives the green light for a return to the use of nuclear energy in the country.
Foratom, the Brussels-based association representing the European nuclear industry, said new nuclear power plants would help Italy ensure a more secure and reliable energy supply and make it better equipped to meet its climate change obligations.
Foratom director-general Santiago San Antonio said the decision shows that the nuclear revival across Europe continues to gather momentum and that more countries now recognise that the arguments in favour of nuclear energy are irresistible. “It will inspire other countries that are considering a similar political path to press ahead,” he said.
The chief executive officer of Italy’s Enel power group, Fulvio Conti, said the vote meant Italy had made an “historic” choice in favour of a return to nuclear power.
Mr Conti said the country now had a “strategic opportunity” to rebuild its technological, scientific and industrial infrastructure, which he said was essential in helping to stabilise the cost of electricity generation and tackle climate change.
Proposals to restart the country’s nuclear energy programme and pursue nuclear new build were announced last year following the election of prime minister Silvio Berlusconi. The proposals came more than 20 years after Italy’s nuclear programme was scrapped by a referendum.
Italy relies heavily on imports of electricity as well as domestic fossil fuels. The country’s one-unit Garigliano and Latina nuclear power plants were shut down in 1982 and 1987 respectively. Its remaining two units – at the Caorso and Trino nuclear plants – were closed in 1990 following the referendum.
