agreement between Ansaldo, Edison, Edf-Corriere.it

«The agreement signed by Edf, Edison, Ansaldo Energia and Ansaldo Nucleare is interesting. The time is ripe and can no longer be postponed to go back to talking about new generation nuclear power in Italy». The words of the Deputy Minister for the Environment and Energy Security Vannia Gavawhich arrived on the evening of 7 March a few hours after the announcement of a collaboration between the four companies, give a concrete perspective to the same wish expressed by the CEO of Edison Nicola Monti: «The time horizon – he declared during a conversation with the press – is 2030-2035. We see the political will to address this issue in a non-ideological way». So, the die is cast. And the the test of the government’s intentions will be the update of the Pniec, the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan that Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin must prepare and send to Brussels in April to then approve it by the summer. Then it will be known which energy sources and projects the government will deem strategic.

transalpine alliance

The alliance announced yesterday by the French giant, by its investee in Italy and by the Genoese group controlled by CDP has the aim of promoting the spread of latest generation nuclear power in Europe and, in fact, verifying the potential for application in Italy also in terms of security and energy independence, because – explains Monti – nuclear power allows “the production of energy at fixed and competitive long-term production costs”. If there is a steep and long road between talking again and doing nuclear power in our country, yesterday’s agreement has a much more concrete and near-term aspect for the Ansaldo groupgrappling with an industrial crisis dictated by the decline in orders and awaiting recapitalization and a recovery plan and which has had a new managing director for two days.

The relaunch of Ansaldo

Genoa therefore has agolden opportunity to enter the nuclear game in Europe with strong allies. A week ago eleven EU countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Finland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia led by France, engaged in the internal relaunch of atomic energy) announced the strengthening of cooperation. “The Ansaldo Energia group – assured Riccardo Casale, managing director of Ansaldo Nucleare – has been able to keep its expertise in the nuclear field alive after the closure of the Italian nuclear power plants”. “We are convinced of the interest in strengthening cooperation with Italian industry and the signing of this agreement with Ansaldo Energia, Ansaldo Nucleare and Edison is an important first step towards a stronger and more lasting partnership,” Vakis Ramany said in the note. Director of International Development for Edf’s New Nuclear Power Plant.

Edf technology

The collaboration between the four companies will support the development of the French giant’s projects. The technology to be promoted is theSmall modular reactor, small modular reactors which, according to Monti, have «very high safety characteristics and require limited investments». With a view to decarbonisation, nuclear power would be the always available source of energy to complement renewables to ensure the stability of the electricity system.