Italy plans to finalize a strategy by the end of 2027 that would reintroduce nuclear energy, nearly four decades after it was banned, according to Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin in an interview with the Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore.
The government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has stated that small modular reactors and advanced modular reactors could play a key role in decarbonizing Italy’s industries, such as steel, glass, and tile manufacturing.
Nuclear power plants have been banned in Italy following referendums in 1987 and 2011, but the government is now preparing regulations to lift the ban through the use of new nuclear energy technologies.
The Italian government has announced that the country is prepared to reintroduce nuclear energy, a vital option that will complement, not replace, renewable sources, ensuring a balanced and sustainable energy mix.
Italy estimates that by 2050, it could save 17 billion euros in decarbonization costs if nuclear energy makes up at least 11 percent of its overall energy mix.