Energy, Orsini: 'Increase independence and nuclear power'. Pichetto: dialogue on nuclear newco with Enel-Leonardo-Ansaldo

The subject of energy 'is worrying me and is worrying us as Italian industry and also obviously your association, because we know very well how much energy will impact, as we know, we are paying in comparison to other European countries more than 40% of energy and we also know that energy consumption will grow and we need to increase energy independence because it must be the safeguard of the country'. This was stated by Confindustria president Emanuele Orsini speaking via video link at the national telecommunications forum in Rome.

"And so it is for this reason that we are strongly advocating, at your side, that we can of course enhance the energy mix towards renewables, but we must enhance it with sources that are continuous such as the new nuclear power plants of the fourth generation micro reactors. We need to run,' concluded Orsini.

In the same hours, the Farnesina hosted the inaugural ministerial event of the World Fusion Energy Group. "In the path ahead of us to reach the final goal of fusion energy, intermediate steps such as fourth-generation fission reactors, which could act as a bridge from hydrocarbon to future fusion, should not be excluded". These were the words of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the speech she was due to give The Prime Minister, who was ill, did not attend, but her message was read instead by the Undersecretary to the Prime Minister Alfredo Mantovano.

'We have made a breakthrough with the government's action in favour of nuclear power, a clean nuclear power, a safe nuclear power,' claimed Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in his opening speech. 'That is why, in order to have a clean nuclear power, a safe nuclear power, we must encourage research, which is a fundamental tool for innovation, for growth. The main objective we all have is to make our fellow citizens live better at such a difficult time," Tajani remarked. 'The energy issue for us Europeans,' the deputy prime minister stressed, 'is fundamental for our businesses, for our citizens. The European Commission's decision to include nuclear power in the European taxonomy of sustainable economic activities also opens up important prospects, namely that nuclear power is non-polluting. We are all committed to the fight against climate change, but we must do it intelligently, with pragmatic choices. And the choice of nuclear power is a choice that goes in this direction, that is, it manages to reconcile growth, industrial policy and the fight against climate change'.

"At this moment I confirm absolutely nothing. That there is intention, that there is talk, I confirm. That there is a point of convergence on who can participate, no. Because if and when we reach a conclusion, at that point we will draw the conclusions on who the participants are'. These were the words of Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, during a press conference at the Farnesina, commenting on the hypothesis that Enel, Leonardo and Ansaldo Nucleare would be part of the newco with public support for the relaunch of nuclear power in Italy. "Right now there is a 'pour parler' that I confirm, because they are part of these comparisons, which until now have been essentially bilateral. Then,' he concluded, 'in order to arrive at a subject that in this case in the reasoning that has been done, in the two-way debate, is a subject that should have an important industrial role on the system, well, clearly we all need to find each other'.