Nuclear: ENEA ready to play the pivot role in accelerating research

Over seventy years of history in which ENEA has always played a leading role in nuclear research, and now it is ready to expand its efforts to speed up the process. So much so that the agency is moving on several fronts, both national and international. All of which President Francesca Mariotti outlined today during a hearing at the Chamber of Deputies in front of the joint committees on the Environment and Productive Activities as part of the examination of draft laws on sustainable nuclear energy. "We welcome both the bill that lays the concrete foundations for the launch of a nuclear programme in Italia, in line with the highest international standards and the energy policies of the European Union, and the bill that regulates the adoption of national lines of action for the development of new nuclear technologies, in line with the objectives proposed by the latest Pniec.

Mariotti pointed out that Enea agrees with the fundamental principles contained in the proposed rules, such as technological neutrality and the need for a balanced energy mix, resulting in an increasingly decisive reduction in the use of fossil fuels. The president, however, also emphasised the need to speed up some of the steps to concretely implement the trajectory outlined by the government. "For the launch of the nuclear programme to be successful, the establishment of the Nuclear Safety Authority and the identification of a Technical Support Organisation must be addressed as a matter of urgency. In addition, a widespread information campaign for the population must be carried out, investment must be made in the training of qualified personnel, the research sector must be strengthened, and the national repository must be identified in the short term."

At Enea, the president then recalled, 'nuclear research has never stopped in over seventy years of history and we are currently involved in many research activities for the development of advanced nuclear technologies, including SMR, LFR and radioactive waste management'. Mariotti continued, "The organisation manages a world-class infrastructure park, unique in Italia, which is being further developed thanks to private investment and the Nuclear Research Plan, while our activities include participation in international projects, the exchange of knowledge and best practices, technical support to companies on the implementation of nuclear technologies, and training for professionals in the sector.

Then the passage on the advancement of new nuclear technologies which, he noted, like the new business models that look to modular nuclear power, 'promise greater safety and fewer risks than traditional reactors'. Now, Mariotti remarked, it is necessary to accelerate the process, in an international context of great revival of nuclear energy: 'We need to invest in research and the supply chain, bearing in mind the timing of implementation: Smr in the short term, Amr in the medium term, and nuclear fusion in the long term. The opportunities for the country are great both in terms of employment and direct (GDP) and indirect (cost of energy and services) economic impact'.