(marketscreener.com with Reuters) Italian groups Leonardo, Enel and Ansaldo Energia have reached an agreement to create a new entity dedicated to the study of nuclear energy, Italian Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin announced at a conference in Milan on Thursday.
The joint venture will mark a concrete step in Italy's return to nuclear power, authorized by a law passed earlier this year by the conservative government, ending a ban that has been in force since the 1987 referendum.
Speaking by videoconference, the Minister explained that the new company's initial aim would be to carry out a feasibility study to determine the most suitable nuclear technology. Enel will contribute its experience in the management of nuclear power plants in Spain, while Leonardo could look into the military applications of this energy.
"Initially, the new entity will focus on a study to identify the best nuclear technology," said Luca Mastrantonio, head of nuclear innovation at Enel.
Gilberto Pichetto Fratin estimated that the regulatory framework should be finalized within two and a half years. The Italian government sees small modular reactors (SMRs) as the most realistic solution for reviving nuclear power generation in the country. However, critics point out that these technologies would not be operational for at least another decade.
