US-based energy company Westinghouse has proposed the installation of small modular reactors (SMRs) at decommissioned nuclear sites in Italy.
The construction activities are expected to begin by 2030, as reported by Reuters.
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During a parliamentary hearing, Westinghouse commercial sales manager Fabio Presot unveiled plans to utilise Italy’s four decommissioned nuclear sites, Caorso, Trino, Latina and Garigliano, for the SMRs’ deployment.
The initiative aligns with Italy’s strategic shift in energy policy under the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which is considering reviving its dormant nuclear sector.
Despite the prohibition of nuclear power plants following referendums in 1987 and 2011, Italy is now looking to establish a strategy by the end of 2027 to reintroduce nuclear power almost four decades after its ban.
The Italian government has recognised the role of SMRs and advanced modular reactors in the decarbonisation of the country’s most carbon-intensive industries, such as steel, glass and tile manufacturing.
Italy’s Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin revealed in October 2024 that the nation was in talks with Westinghouse and EDF regarding potential partnerships with a state-supported company to develop advanced nuclear reactors.
Edison, operating under French energy conglomerate EDF, has proposed the construction of two advanced nuclear reactors in Italy by 2040.
The first reactor is expected to be operational by 2035, followed by the second five years later, according to Edison executive Lorenzo Mottura.
Initial SMR technologies will be ready by 2030, to be followed by testing phases.
In a related development, EDF, Edison and the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) signed a memorandum of understanding in January 2025 to explore the adoption of SMR technologies in industrial settings.
The collaboration will focus on the critical technical and scientific aspects necessary for SMR deployment.
The partnership will focus on thermo-hydraulic and passive safety systems, cutting-edge technologies, integrated system operations and the potential for combined heat and power generation to meet industrial demands.
