Folgiero: ‘Nuclear power is the solution of the future for ship propulsion’

Nuclear power is the solution of the future for ship propulsion and could also help bring back to Europe some of the commercial shipbuilding that is currently carried out elsewhere, primarily in China and South Korea. This view was expressed by Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and General Manager of Fincantieri, on the sidelines of the handover ceremony to MSC of the cruise ship Explora III, which is also powered by LNG (liquefied natural gas).

Speaking about the prospects for new fuels following LNG, the manager emphasised that ‘the issue should be addressed from the perspective of the energy transition strategy: in the past, there was probably a sort of “hyper-transition” frenzy. Today, however, we must not make the opposite mistake – that is, to assume that the energy transition is no longer a priority. Instead, we need to take a mature view of decarbonisation and stay the course. Whilst, up until two years ago, the talk was all about hydrogen, now nobody is talking about hydrogen anymore: it was wrong then, and it is wrong now. A mature approach means we need to focus on the heart of the ship – its propulsion system – using a mix of solutions, which may be short-term, such as liquefied natural gas, other fuels that are always a stopgap, such as methanol, specific hydrogen-based solutions that have already been developed and, as far as I’m concerned, nuclear power too.”

Folgiero went on to add that, ‘as is always the case with the energy transition, the real alternative to hydrocarbons is nuclear power; it is clear that, even in the maritime sector, as in other fields, this is something for our children; but we must get started, because all major developments require courage. It’s not as though, just because it will take 10 years, we shouldn’t do anything today. On the contrary, precisely because it will take a decade, we must act now. We are, in fact, well ahead, both with projects here in Italia – which we have also discussed with the Government – and in Norway with our company Vard. We want to be at the forefront of those installing a 20-megawatt nuclear reactor on a ship, designed to provide power for 20 years. This will transform the industry and, in my view, will also enable us to bring back to Europe that part of the shipbuilding sector which has moved away from the EU. So we must not only defend the high level of complexity that has remained here, but we must also view these technological and paradigm shifts as opportunities to win back market share.”

Turning to the Sestri Ponente shipyard, Folgiero noted that Fincantieri has established, ‘right here in Genoa, a partnership with Generative Bionics, Italia’s leading experts in robotisation processes. Because we want to turn the Sestri shipyard into our living laboratory, where our production processes can serve as a testing ground – a trial by fire – for new ideas and technologies across the entire group.

The aim, he added, is to make Sestri ‘the heart of the high-tech shipbuilding industry of the future, and of the industrial transformation of the shipbuilding process, which has so far remained stuck in the 19th century. At Fincantieri, we are working – and are at the forefront – on a project ranging from design systems to cobots and robots, with the aim of bringing artificial intelligence right into the shipyards over the next ten years. And we are ahead of our American and Korean competitors when it comes to shipbuilding technology. It is clear that ours is a sector with slow cycles, so there are no revolutions but rather evolutions; this is precisely why it is necessary to have a clear course; and the shipyard gates are wide open to anyone who wants to shape the future of manufacturing.”